Miss Nothing
by iluvtodance
Summary: After returning from the Other Side, Bonnie is no longer the same girl. Anger and resentment took over, and she has been increasing the strength of her powers to the point where she is no longer recognizable to her friends. She's on a mission to get revenge, and no one will get in her way. Rated T for cursing. Bonkai, Bamon, but mostly Bonnie focused. Now a multi-chapter fic.
1. Miss Nothing

**A/N: I don't own _The Vampire Diaries_. Whoever does must be a very sad person, because the show is traveling downhill fast! The one shot's title is inspired by the song "Miss Nothing" by The Pretty Reckless.**

Damon smirked when Elena giggled at his joke, mentally patting himself on the back for making progress with the love of his life. They had been spending more time together, slowly falling into a really good place despite the fact that Elena erased him from her memory. He was too occupied by the brunette who always remained at the center of his universe to notice another brunette—one that had lodged herself into his heart suddenly and unexpectedly—walk into the Grille with a purpose. When he did see her, he watched her intently, quickly becoming concerned and confused at the sight of her. Bonnie Bennett, clad in a leather jacket, short hair framing her face, and a determined, cool gaze set on her face—stomped through the bar, clearly pissed. Damon raised his eyebrows at the sight—she looked like him on a normal day.

Once noticing Damon's attention wasn't on her—her special super power—Elena pouted. "Damon?" She questioned.

Not sparing a glance at Elena, Damon tilted his head in Bonnie's direction, her name falling from his lips. "Bonnie," he murmured. He didn't hesitate rising from his seat to reach her. When he catch up to her and take hold of her arm, he severely regretted it, because a sharp pain surged through him. "What the hell, Bennett," he groaned while doubling over in pain.

Bonnie's green eyes settled onto his icy blues one, "What?"

Her words were delivered with such force and anger that Damon had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating the whole thing. "It's me, Bonnie. What are you doing?" His eyes scanned very inch of her, trying to determine what could be going on. This wasn't Bonnie.

Bonnie grinned sweetly at him, giggling. "What do you think I'm doing?" She asked extra cheerily. "I'm going to see a good friend of mine." Her tone changed with each work spoken until her voice was menacing, "We have some unfinished business." She aggressively pounded her fist into her open palm, her smile slowly spreading through her face again, "It's gonna be fun." She didn't even wait for Damon's response, instead choosing to turn sharply ahead of her once again focused on her target. She took one step before Damon grabbed her arm, bringing her close to him.

"What's wrong with you," he whispered in ear. He tightened his hold on her leather jacket clad arm, keeping her in place.

Bonnie took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. "Nothing, Damon. I'm finally where I'm supposed to be," she retorted sharply. Yanking her arm from his grasp, she began to walk away with deliberate steps. She knew he was here. She had to find him. Annihilate him.

"Come on," Damon said as he inched closer, but an invisible barrier stopped him from moving any further.

She turned around to address him, "Don't come any closer. You'll get hurt." Her tone was threatening but her eyes told an entirely different story—care.

"I'll get hurt?" Damon smirked, "That's a joke, witch."

"It's not Damon," Bonnie responded. "It's not a joke. My powers are strong, and I am finally gaining control of them again. I don't restrain myself if someone tells me to stop. I do what I want. The old responsible, selfless, martyr Bonnie died when she went to the Other Side. She's no longer with us," her voice turned cold. She snapped her head in the direction of Kai's now visible silhouette, standing by the bar and shamelessly flirting with a poor unsuspecting girl. Now Bonnie felt sort of bad interrupting the moment—she choked back an acerbic laugh—she'll get over it.

Rushing forward with eyes set for a purpose, Bonnie murmured a spell under her breath. All life in the bar suddenly suspended and everyone froze except for her target. Before she could move forward to confront Kai, something caught her eye, causing Bonnie to press the pause button on her vendetta against Kai, and look in curiosity. She laughed bitterly when she saw Jeremy in the middle of making out with some random girl. The witch bit her lip, suppressing any tears that threatened to spill down her face and re-focused her attention on her target. Her anger resurfaced with full force.

Placing one hand on her hip and tilting her head, Bonnie addressed the warlock. "Aw Kai were you about to ask her out? So sweet," Bonnie slowed her pace, taking her time approaching her prey before she attacked. "Will I be getting a wedding invitation in the mail?"

Kai faced her, his eyes filled with intensity but a wide smile was gracing his face. Both warlock and witch couldn't have been more alike in that moment. "Bonnie Bennett. It's good to see you again, but you know—if you are upset by me flirting with her—just tell me so. I'd gladly drop her in nanosecond for you."

Bonnie's smile left her face, a frown replacing it. "Let's cut the bullshit, Kai. I'm here to kill you." Bonnie paused dramatically before continuing, "Surprise!" Bonnie spread her arms out like she really was revealing a surprise for a good friend. "I hope you love it," Bonnie cooed before she snapped her fingers, causing the lights to flicker.

The warlock could only openly stare at her in disbelief and excitement. Bennett was on complete power trip, and he had never seen something so beautiful in his life. "Careful Bonnie, you might make me want you. I mean I always thought you were beautiful but too self-righteous for my taste, but I like this change in attitude!" He took two quick strides to reach her, mentally chanting a spell to keep Bonnie frozen in her spot, so he could reach her. Once there Kai wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips against hers. A surge of power traveled through the two magical beings, instilling a weird bond between them.

Bonnie whimpered against his lips, suddenly forgetting that she wanted to kill him. His power was intoxicating, and she felt even stronger near him. But, she quickly came to her senses—this was just another person who abandoned her like she was nothing and used her. She made sure to put extra force into the slap she gave him after she broke his spell.

Kai's head whipped around so violently, he thought he had whiplash. "Whoa," he exclaimed as he clutched his jaw.

"You deserved that, mother—" before Bonnie could finish the sentence, Kai cut her off with his lips again.

Needing to pour every inch of his powers to keep Bonnie still again, Kai kept the kiss short but intense enough to leave an impression on her. "You just keep getting to me, Bennett. Where have you been all my life?" He whispered the words against her lips, getting ready to use another spell to limit her magic, but Bonnie beat him to it.

"Don't even try it," Bonnie warned, "And stop kissing me."

Kai laughed, his eyes glancing behind her to look at a frozen Damon. "What? Worried that you're boyfriend will see? You took care of that, sweetheart."

Mentioning Damon incited an incredibly violent surge of anger to course through her, driving her completely past the limit of insanity.

"He's not my boyfriend," Bonnie huffed. "I'm the second choice, the girl no one cares about, right? Just like you said, so why would you even ask the question," she waved her hand in front of him, sending him flying across the room and against the concrete wall. Bonnie smirked at the rush she felt from using her powers. No more weakness in body or mind. It was perfect.

"What the hell," moaned Kai. "Calm down, Bennett. I didn't know my words could bother you so much."

Rolling her eyes, Bonnie lifted her hand once again to lift Kai off the ground, sending him flying into the bar and into shards of glass to break his fall. "Shut up Kai," Bonnie retorted, "I'm tired of your mouth. So shut it and let me talk. Kay?" She smiled brightly at him, reveling in the warlock's pain and discomfort. The annoyed look he was sending her didn't hurt either.

"You know Bennett, I never thought I'd say this, but you may be becoming as twisted as me," he chuckled bitterly as he struggled to stand amidst the broken glass. "I have to say," his voice softened, "I'm crushing kinda hard right now." He smirked at her, wiping a streak of blood from his mouth away as he stepped closer. He paused when Bonnie raised her hand in warning.

She shook her head and stared right at him, silently daring him to even try to get near her. "You don't want to do that Kai. I'm angry, and you won't like me when I'm angry," she began to giggle lightly as she thought of her words. "Quoting the Hulk," she mused to herself, "It's so appropriate," she stomped her foot on the ground creating a mini earthquake underneath her that shook any remaining bottles in the bar. The patrons remained frozen, having no idea what epic showdown was occurring in front of them.

Once Kai was knocked onto the floor again, Bonnie took advantage of his vulnerable position and muttered another spell that immediately began to send a sharp pain throughout his body, causing Kai to release a blood-curling scream.

Continuing to chant the spell, Bonnie stepped closer to Kai, kneeling by his side once she reached him. She made sure to look into his eyes—eyes that showed fear and pain. The same look she had in her eyes the countless times he tortured her. Suddenly finding the strange urge to hear him speak one last time, Bonnie stopped the spell and waited for Kai to gain the strength to speak.

He looked into her eyes, "You really going to kill me Bennett?" His words meant to be mocking, but he couldn't muster a convincing enough tone for it. He was actually worried.

The look in Kai's eyes increasingly grew more scared, and Bonnie suddenly felt a knot forming in her stomach at the sight. Her empathy peeked through the searing anger that consumed her these past weeks, and she found herself second-guessing her plan. The doubt in her mind frustrated her, making her huff angrily, pull her hair violently, and scream. "Why are you looking at me like that? I need to do this—no more pushover Bonnie. Be strong, ruthless, give into the power." She raised her hand to finish Kai with a fatal spell, but she couldn't.

"Hey," Kai beckoned, trying to soothe her. "Bennett, you are one of the good ones. It's obvious you aren't being appreciated, and I know that I didn't treat you right either, but…" Kai slowly got up, inching closer to a hunched over Bonnie, "Why don't we get out of here? I'm suddenly in the mood for a burger. Not from his crappy place," he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Bonnie scoffed, "Seriously? You want me to hang out with you after all that?"

"Yup. Are you that surprised? It's me." He smirked, slowly reaching out to her.

She was drained, suddenly feeling the misery creep up on her. Without giving it a second thought, she placed her hand in his, not concerned with what he could do to her. She was ready for death if that's what Kai chose to do—she just didn't want to deal anymore.

To her surprise, Kai pulled her up to standing position and slipped an arm around her waist while retaining his grip on her hand. "Let's get out of here and away from these boring non-power people." He glanced down at her, "Shall we?"

She nodded faintly, still suspicious of Kai but too exhausted to question the surprised end to her plan to kill him. Bonnie murmured a quick spell that reversed the freezing spell she cast over the entire bar. The panicked sounds of the bar patrons filled the bar, but Bonnie could only focus on one in particular.

"What the fuck?" Damon growled at the sight of Kai with his arms around Bonnie, and Bonnie completely allowing it. He had no idea what just happened.

Kai grinned at Damon, his eyes gleaming with glee, "Hey Mr. Moody. What's up? Bonnie and I just had a huge fight but decided to make up." He leaned over brushing his lips against her forehead; the spark of power between them invigorated both, "Right Bonnie lass?"

Feeling absolute euphoria with magic buzzing through her, Bonnie's eyes fluttered at the feeling of so much power. "Yeah," Bonnie whispered. "Don't worry about it, Damon. You should really get back to Elena, she's getting increasingly upset by your absence." Bonnie spoke in a nonchalant manner, but her tone held a bite to it. Being close to Kai fully clouded her vision, preventing her from seeing her friends in a semi-positive manner. She fed off of his energy and found herself feeling comfort from their magical connection.

Kai laughed heartily, "Burn!" He exclaimed. "I don't get what you see in that chick, Damon. She's as bland as water. But, I have a firecracker here—a mojito maybe."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, already annoyed with Kai's talking. "Let's go." She spared one last glance at a very confused, wounded looking Damon. If she went with Kai, she could kiss her old life good bye. Oh well, she already did, so what was the harm?

Bonnie and Kai began moving towards the door. As they walked, Kai—already sensing Damon follow them—chanted a spell to keep Damon in his place, and he smiled at the sound of Damon cursing. He released his hold on Bonnie's waist once she seemed to get her strength back, and threw an arm over her shoulder, instead. "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, Bennett."

All Bonnie could manage was a weak smile that did not reach her eyes. "Yeah," she whispered, mourning the loss of her life as she knew it.

**A/N:**

**I don't think there are enough words in the English language to express how frustrated and angry I am with this show, especially the way they treat the BEST character on the show Bonnie Bennett—the girl who sacrifices herself repeatedly for those she loves and has such compassion and integrity. But no one else cares until it's about Elena, of course. I barely watch the show anymore, because seeing Elena on the screen makes me livid, and I can't stand to see her selfish, delusional behavior playing out on my TV. RIP season 1-3 Elena. Anyway, I wrote this story to vent my frustration about Bonnie. She deserves better, and I so wish I was the lead writer on that show—it would be so different. The show has become a ridiculous, parody of itself. For this one-shot, I want to show Bonnie stand up for herself and show absolutely no care for her awful excuse for friends (except Caroline). I really didn't mean to throw in a Kai friendship/love thing here, but it just happened so I rolled with it. Thanks for reading my story and my venting! Hopefully this helps fellow Bonnie fans deal with their anger lol**


	2. People Like Us

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Vampire Diaries**_

**A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for reading and leaving nice reviews. I really had planned to just keep this as a one shot, but for some reason I'm really interested in the idea of Bonnie and Kai and just feel like focusing on some moments between them. So, I have decided to create a couple of more one shots that are an extension of the first chapter. All of them will be able to stand alone, since I really don't know how many chapters I will write. It's hard to find the time. But, I'm going to add onto it, because I feel like it! The tone of this one is a lot different from the previous one, but hopefully it goes well together. Thanks for reading! The title of this addition is inspired by the song "People Like Us" by Kelly Clarkson.**

Bonnie tapped the table impatiently while sending a death glare to the person sitting across from her. Kai had been browsing through the menu for a full 20 minutes, and he still has not ordered anything.

"I don't get it," he spoke without glancing up from the menu, "How does one restaurant have so many different types of burgers?" He shook his head, concentrating once again on the menu.

When the waiter finally gave up and turned to Bonnie, she didn't hesitate to order, "I'll have your special garden burger with extra tomatoes and pickles, please." She glanced at Kai who still had not decided, "And I'll take two chocolate milkshakes and an order to curly fries. It might be a while before he actually decides."

The waiter smiled at Bonnie gratefully before turning towards the kitchen to place the order. Once he left, Kai finally drew his attention away from the menu. "Why did you order two milkshakes?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes and pulled at her charm bracelet, not willing to look him in the eye as she explained her reason for ordering two. "One is for you, so you don't starve to death." She pointed at her watch, "I think at this rate it will be the year 2025 before you decide what burger you want."

She didn't miss the genuine smile that graced his face, briefly, at her joke. He really was handsome when he wasn't being a psychopath.

"I appreciate the concern, Bennett," he expressed, "But what if I don't like milkshakes or am severely lactose intolerant?"

Bonnie's eyes brightened, and she smiled at the opportunity he just gave her, "That would work well for me too!" She laughed at Kai's sour expression. She had to give into his pathetic look—he resembled a sad little boy who didn't not get his way. "Okay," she surrendered, "I'll ask the waiter to bring something else if you don't like them or are deathly allergic to dairy."

Kai's expression immediately changed into a cheerful one, "Nope I like milkshakes. I just wanted to hear you admit out loud that you care about me."

In response to his words, Bonnie began to choke violently on the water she had just taken a sip of, "What?"

His smile never left his face, "You're willing to change my drink order so that I don't die. That's a huge difference from earlier today when you tried to kill me."

Bonnie raised her eyebrows, letting Kai's words sink in. He was right. She has lost her mind for even willingly eating a meal with him when she was so dead set on killing him as revenge for screwing her over in 1994 only an hour ago. A thought occurred to her that she felt the need to share, "If the roles were reversed, and it was you who wanted to kill me, then I wouldn't be here right now." Bonnie watched Kai's smile fade, and he suddenly found his lap interesting. The witch sat completely stunned at his reaction to her words— it was as if he felt guilty…which made her feel guilty for bringing it up. Why was seeing Kai hurt making her feel guilty?

"You're right," Kai admitted, taking a deep breath. He didn't know why he felt so much shame in that moment, because he never felt shame in his entire life. He never regretted any bad thing he has done and has never had enough of a soul to care about others around him. It was the truth. "After all, I was sent to 1994 for killing most of my family. I stayed in my personal hell for who knows how long thinking about what I did, and I felt nothing." He looked into her eyes, finding comfort in making eye contact with her. "I've been alone for so long. I don't really have many social skills."

Something about Kai's words and demeanor tugged at Bonnie's heartstrings. She tried to stifle the empathy, but it was an integral part of her nature that just couldn't be erased easily—she gave in to it. "It's understandable," she added in an effort to let him know she was listening. "You were alone with so much anger that it started to consume you." Her shoulders hunched over, suddenly feeling a wave of sadness over take her. "I felt something similar after you left. I spent my favorite holiday alone after Damon and Elena failed to bring me back, and something shifted in me that night. I realized how alone I have always been." She met his gaze once again, shivering once she made eye contact with him. He was staring at her with so much intensity that it made her nervous. "I never felt the same after that night," she confessed.

"I'm sorry Bennett." Kai shifted in his seat uncomfortably when he caught sight of Bonnie's surprised expression, "For lying to you about wanting to learn how to be a better person and then stabbing you," he smiled sheepishly. The whole conversation suddenly became very awkward. He filled the silence before Bonnie could, "I don't think I could have learned anyway. I'm kinda a lost cause. I've killed…" he stopped, suddenly uncomfortable with apologizing and reflecting on all the bad he has done. He never felt remorse in his entire life, so why was he actually sounding remorseful now?

Something about Kai's boyish charm forced Bonnie to try and look at him in a different way and actually listen to him, searching for some hint of sincerity. Regardless of whether or not he was sincere didn't even factor into her reaction to him; she still felt some invisible force drawing her to him. They almost had something in common. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. The waiter arrived, interrupting their conversation, to bring the milkshakes Bonnie ordered. He looked at Kai expectantly, "Have you decided?"

Kai snapped from his trance, fumbling with the menu. "Uh, I'll have a cheeseburger with extra pickles on the side."

Bonnie almost laughed at the irony of Kai ordering a cheeseburger after their previous conversation. When the waiter left, Kai focused his attention on her once again. Without saying anything Bonnie knew he wanted to continue the conversation.

"My friends…and I," she gulped heavily, her throat dry, "have killed." She clutched her milkshake and took a long sip, her thoughts becoming occupied with Damon—the one person she had hated so much out of all the new people that arrived in Caroline, Elena, and her's life. He really started off as the worst of them all. She frowned. Her attitude about Damon changed so much, even in the past 5 months, and he killed more people than Kai ever did. Her stomach dropped, nausea taking over as she actually started to look at things logically. If she could grow to care for Damon despite the horrific things he has done then that gives Kai a chance. Does she want to give him a chance? Once again her thoughts horrified her. Everyone in her life, including herself, became damaged due to all of the violence and death they experienced and caused. To her, the damage was irreparable. So, being drawn to Kai shouldn't even be a big deal—after all she's changed for the worse after her exhausting, miserable experience in the Other Side.

Kai watched as a million different expressions appear on her face, and he felt the desire to comfort her somehow, "I can't speak for your friends or even Damon—who is definitely not a saint—" he noticed her shift uncomfortably at the mention of Damon. "But, you aren't evil. Don't waste your time feeling guilty."

Bonnie tilted her head, "That's the thing though. If you are a good person then you care and carry the burden of feeling guilt at every bad decision you make. It's just the way it works."

All of the emotion Kai had been expressing suddenly disappeared; instead, being replaced with indifference. Shrugging nonchalantly, Kai shared his thoughts, "I wouldn't know. I don't think I've ever cared."

The disappointment Bonnie felt due to his words shocked her. She knew what he was like—he stabbed her and left her for dead after all. But, she couldn't let go of one tiny shred of hope that a human being was there, underneath the damage. "Maybe so," mused Bonnie, "But there's always hope for a second chance. Redemption. Damon is a living example."

"You think there's hope for me?" Kai couldn't help but sound hopeful at the question, his body now leaning forward expectantly.

Bonnie paused, her eyes surveying his face—she settled her focus on his eyes, which held _something_. There had to be hope. "Yes," she replied effortlessly. She felt the faintest sensation of a hand brushing against the fingers that still held her milkshake, but before she could pull away or react in any way, Kai had already removed his hand and began eating his hamburger. "This is really good," he gushed, his words muffled by the large amount of food in his mouth.

Scrunching her nose in disgust but eyeing him with amusement, Bonnie began to eat her own hamburger. The two ate in a silence until Kai spoke, breaking the tension. "Your burger has way too many vegetables on it."

She glared at him, "Why are you insulting my burger all of a sudden?"

"I mean a garden burger? Isn't that an oxymoron or something?" He chuckled at his own joke.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him, contemplating ways to drown out his annoying voice. "Shut up," she stated.

The warlock sitting across from her burst out laughing, dodging a curly fry in the process. He loved making her angry. He liked her. He's never really liked anyone before. His laughter subsided as he stared at her, his thoughts sinking in.

Noticing the change, Bonnie eyed him nervously. "What?"

"Nothing," he mumbled as he broke eye contact briefly. "Just…thanks," he stated hesitantly, looking into her eyes again. "For eating with me." He offered her a small, shy smile that caused her heartbeat to pick up in its pace. He looked genuine—it really suits him. "And not killing me," he added as an afterthought.

Bonnie smiled, "As long as you don't annoy me, try to kill me, or kill your siblings then I will keep not killing you."

Placing his hand over his heart, "I'm touched."

"Just eat your burger and shut up," Bonnie huffed.

He smiled widely, gesturing towards her. "There she is. It's not complete if you're not telling me to shut up."

Shaking her head, Bonnie tried to suppress a smile as she looked around the restaurant. "Check please!" She called, prompting the warlock to laugh.

While Damon and the rest of the gang worried about Bonnie's sanity after news traveled pretty fast after the incident at the Grille, Bonnie found a strange sense of comfort from her interactions with Kai. The old Bonnie probably wouldn't have even been in this situation with Kai—eating a meal while having a heart to heart with the enemy, but she couldn't think of another place she'd rather be. It scared her. A lot.


	3. Ignorance

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Vampire Diaries.**_

**A/N: Title musical inspiration: "Ignorance" by Paramore**

"So what now?" Bonnie's inquiry filled the otherwise peaceful silence that had fallen between the two of them as they walked through the town park. After eating at the local burger place, Bonnie really needed to clear her head, and getting fresh air was the perfect way to achieve that. Of course, Kai insisted in tagging along, which Bonnie didn't mind at all. In fact, she had something on her mind that only Kai could help with.

Kai glanced at her quickly before fixing his attention on something that caught his eye. Bonnie didn't even notice his actions, since she herself purposefully surveyed the park around her, paying particularly close attention to the glittering stars that adorned the night sky.

"What do you mean?" Was his response as he tapped her on the arm to get her attention. When Bonnie followed his lead, she saw a pretty flower arrangement of small wild flowers tied up with a purple bow in his hand. He was offering them to her. A spectator looking at the two would have thought they were a couple being affectionate with one another, with Kai buying her the simple but sweet gift, and Bonnie openly accepting. But, if the person were to look closely at the expressions on Bonnie and Kai's faces then an entirely different situation—not romantic and genuine—would seem to be unfolding. Bonnie displayed weariness and confusion at the gesture, and Kai—once again—showed no emotion at all except for his eyes, which could only be described as intense and serious.

Despite Bonnie's apparent apprehension, she expressed gratitude for the gift. "They're beautiful."

He nodded in response, placing his hands in his pockets and continuing to move along the path. Bonnie had expected him to start speaking automatically, as he usually can't stop talking, but he was uncharacteristically quiet. She pursued her original question. "What are you planning to do next? With your time?" The question was innocent enough, but Bonnie asked it with ulterior motives in mind—figure out his next steps to determine if there was an immediate threat.

Without looking at Bonnie, Kai attempted to answer her question with an answer that would make her happy. "Like, am I going to start a hobby? Maybe learn how to play the drums. I've always wanted to be in a band." He spoke with a straight face, despite completely dodging the real question Bonnie was asking—would he continue his original plan of finishing off his siblings and gaining more power to make up for being punished for so long? His avoidance wasn't unintentional, since he knew that Bonnie still didn't trust him. "You look disappointed, Bennett," he observed after a long stretch of silence on Bonnie's part, "Don't believe me?"

Crossing her arms against her chest—the flowers resting comfortably in one hand—Bonnie took a deep breath in order to prepare herself for the conversation that was coming up. "Not really," she responded without any hesitance. Her eyes focused on the sky once again, seeking anything out but the boy next to her.

"Wow, I have to admit that hurts, Bonnie. I thought we were starting to reach to an understanding." He cleared his throat, hiding the edge in his voice.

Not being able to avoid it any longer, Bonnie looked straight at him and found an almost bitter, disappointed boy walking next to her. "Well, it's going to take time for me to really believe it. Did you think that I would automatically drop any and all of my suspicions about you? C'mon, Kai. You don't take me as a fool." For some reason, the direction that this conversation was taking made Bonnie increasingly uneasy. She felt trepidation both at the possibility of Kai snapping violently at her and at the idea of him no longer trusting her as someone to confide in—it was completely messed up.

"You made yourself clear earlier." Kai repeated Bonnie's warning at the restaurant, "As long as I don't try to kill you, your friends, my siblings, or any innocent people then you'll let me live." His voice remained the epitome of cool and steady—no anger or excess emotion seeping through.

A deep frown line began to make an appearance on Bonnie's face. The strange, vulnerable human side of Kai evident at the restaurant no longer existed during this conversation, and Bonnie could only offer two possible explanations: 1) His inner sociopath is taking over or 2) he is actually hurt by Bonnie's doubt. "You know," she considered her words carefully to placate the warlock, "I don't expect you to completely change after one meal and conversation with me. You spent years in a prison for a very serious, twisted crime that derived from some deep-seated hatred and resentment towards your role in your own family, and you suddenly have the freedom to do whatever. I'm not expecting you to have an epiphany where you discover that everything you felt over there was fake. Okay? But, I have every right to ask. You owe me—stabbed and abandoned, remember?"

Kai released a cheerless laugh, dripping with sarcasm. "So, you're not a flower girl, huh? You need expensive stuff like jewelry as an incentive to offer forgiveness, Bennett?"

Bonnie fell behind him, turning to another vendor that they had just passed by while continuing her end of the conversation, "No," she disagreed, finally falling back into sync with his steps once again and extending her hand. She watched as he met her eyes briefly before traveling down to her opened palm and grabbed the flowers—a small arrangement of assorted colorful daisies—from her hand. He cradled them in both hands, stopping in his tracks to stare longingly at them. Bonnie persisted, "I just don't need any bullshit. Now, I'm being for real, but I'm pretty sure you know that, since it is my fatal flaw—the empathetic martyr—, and I can't quite completely write it off. So, you can't be mad if I am concerned about your plans or have doubts about whether you'll behave."

He shook his head, twirling the flowers around in one hand. "My plans weren't much different than yours—you tried killing me earlier tonight, remember?" His focused all of his attention on her now, his eyes piercing into her own as if challenging her.

Bonnie didn't let him intimidate her and retorted, "But I didn't. That means something." She grazed her fingers against the petals of the flowers in her hands. "I'm willing to give you a chance."

Kai looked at her for a moment, appreciating her presence, before lifting his hand to grab a piece of her short hair, now adorned with subtle blonde highlights leading to a honey blonde color at the ends, before releasing it and making sure to stroke her chin gently as he pulled away. The action occurred so fast that Bonnie couldn't stop it even of she wanted to. "I guess that means I have to try and abstain from evil plotting for at least 24 hours," he stated.

Creating more distance between them to avoid another affectionate gesture from him, she squinted, eyeing him disapprovingly, "At least 48."

Without a hit of a smile, Kai shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk. "Deal," he agreed with a heavy sigh.

"Does that mean you can at least fake a smile now, because your poker face is freaking me out."

Out of nowhere, a huge smile appeared on his face, prompting Bonnie to release a loud snort of laughter that caused her to cover her mouth immediately. "Okay," she stated when she regained control. She raised her hands in surrender, quickening her pace. "Stop smiling."

Kai smirked, following her. "You know. I think the textbook definition of what we did tonight—movie, dinner, romantic stroll through the park, giving each other flowers—is a date."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, already forming an argument, "No way." She contemplated his words, realizing something, "Wait. Did you say movie? We never went to a movie."

"What do you call what happened at the Grille? Now that was entertaining!"

Pretending to find his words hilarious, Bonnie feigned obnoxiously loud laughter. "Oh, you liked it?" Bonnie asked sweetly, "Do you want a repeat of it? Because that can be arranged with no problem at all."

Kai just laughed at her threat, earning a glare from the brunette.

**A/N: Okay, I'm having too much fun writing these. It's a little weird writing a Bonnie/Kai bonding experience, because he really is a psychopath on the show, so I'm trying to be as realistic as possible. On the other hand, this pairing is crazy to begin with, so I'm just going to carry on lol Thank you for the reviews and everyone who is reading! **


	4. Little Talks

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Vampire Diaries**_**. If I did then Elena and Stefan would get back together—I'm still not over that relationship. :(**

When Bonnie finally returned home after her…well she wasn't sure what to call it…with Kai, she was greeted by two brooding figures sitting on her front step. The sight almost made her do a double take to make sure the scene before her was real, but when Jeremy stood up from his place on the steps and rushed towards her, she had no doubt that it was in fact real. Sparing a glance at a moodily silent Damon, Bonnie returned her attention to her incredibly furious ex-boyfriend.

"Where have you been?" He demanded without any greeting. His chest rose and fell quickly, showing his increasing temper.

Bonnie, suppressing her own anger at his reaction, simply stared at him blankly. "I was out," she stated. "That a problem with you?" Her voice shook, revealing her growing impatience. "What are you doing here Jeremy, seriously? We've said all we needed to say to each other." Bonnie was referring to the major blow out they had nearly two weeks ago, right after her return from the Other Side. She had arrived, expecting Jeremy to be there for her, but all she received was intense resentment from her once sweet, caring boyfriend. As soon as she discovered his special method of coping with her death that interestingly involved lots of other girls, she flipped out and ended it for good.

He stared incredulously at her, "How can I not be here right now? You're hanging out with that dick who stalked and tried to you on the Other Side…I'm not the fucking crazy one here."

Clenching her teeth, Bonnie tired to maintain her composure, but she wasn't succeeding. "You know what, I would be _extremely_ careful about what you say to me, because you know as well as I do that you have no right to express concern over me. After I risked my life for you and our friends—including bringing back your guardian—you grew to resent me for my sacrifice and tried to make a point by sleeping around—you might as well have spit on my grave."

Both Jeremy and Damon visibly winced a Bonnie's words, and Bonnie couldn't contain her tears. "I want you away from me Jeremy. Just get out," she cried, purposefully walking past Jeremy and slapping his hand away when he tried to grab her. "Go Jeremy." She made eye contact with Damon, "Make him go away please." She covered her mouth before a loud sob could escape and she walked right into her house, waiting for Damon to get rid of Jeremy.

She had been crying quietly at her kitchen counter, making a feeble attempt at washing her dishes when she heard the front door open and close. She halted her efforts and turned to the side. Tears still fell from her eyes at a steady pace. "Is he gone?" She asked brokenly.

Damon's sad gaze never left her as he walked into her house. "Yes," he answered soothingly.

Only being able to offer a small nod, Bonnie rubbed her eyes in an attempt to erase the evidence of her misery. Her effort was useless, since she couldn't stop crying anyway. "Are you here to yell at me?"

Damon frowned, quickening his pace until her stood right behind her. "Not right this second," he said while reaching out and grabbing her arm, spinning her around to face him. "As much as I enjoyed you kicking Jeremy out, I am so sorry." He made a motion to grab her face but reconsidered the action, allowing his hands to drop.

Bonnie just stared at him. "Why are you sorry? Everything I said was true. It is what it is." Her lip quivered, "He's a liar for claiming that he cares about me. I'm not naïve enough to believe either of the Gilbert siblings anymore." Bonnie's bitterness towards both Jeremy and Elena counted as one more additional side effect from her time on the Other Side that only grew in intensity when she actually interacted with them again. With Jeremy, hearing his voicemail messages berating her for caring for others lives before her own (how selfish of her) and discovering his man whore ways provided the final nail in the coffin of their relationship. But with Elena, Bonnie finally became fed up with her complete selfishness. First she intentionally erased memories of the "love of her life," thus completely succeeding at destroying Damon when he found out, but then she proceeded to bitch and moan about why she did erase her memories everytime she was with Bonnie, because "he seemed so sweet with Bonnie, so she must have loved him once" blah, blah, blah. Every moment spent with Elena involved hearing her regrets about how she handled the Damon situation, and debating whether she should retrieve her memories again. There was never any effort on her part to ask how Bonnie's doing after being left alone in some version of Kai's hell during Christmas and her birthday after dying for the tenth time. Yeah, Bonnie was _ove_r it.

"She's worried about you."

"That's hilarious Damon. Really. I know she's the love of your life, but I know you are not stupid enough to believe that."

Damon frowned, his face showing anguish. "Don't say that, Bon Bon—"

"What I can't be honest with you? I need to revert back to acting like she's the fucking center of the universe? Not happening ever again." Bonnie quickly stepped around Damon, creating distance between them before she could be too close when he begins to defend Elena, which would be starting in 3,2,1…

"Why are you so against Elena all of a sudden?" He asked this question with complete confusion and frustration—Damon just couldn't wrap his mind around a Bonnie who didn't remain by her oldest friend in the world's side. Her behavior after returning from the Other Side worried him deeply, but Damon felt powerless to help her.

Bonnie's whipped her head around to face Damon before she would address this issue one last time. "Elena doesn't care about me Damon. I lost her after she became a vampire, okay?" Bonnie felt her throat constrict, signaling the onset of tears. She didn't even try to resist crying, because she still wasn't quite done mourning the loss of her best friend anyway. "You have no right to tell me otherwise, so don't even try. The Elena you know now isn't the same girl I grew up with—who I called my sister. It's a fact. So stop. I can't take it anymore," she confessed frantically while tugging her hair, "I can't. Everyone that I thought I knew—they all are different. I feel alone. It's driving me crazy," she released a frustrated cry.

Damon watched, paralyzed by horror, and began to take small steps toward the upset witch. "Bonnie," he called, "Calm down." Once he reached her, Damon grabbed Bonnie by the waist and slipped a hand behind her neck to stabilize her. "Bonnie," Damon tried to console her. "Look at me, please. You're okay."

Gripping his jacket, Bonnie rested her head against his shoulder and continued to cry. "I'm not okay," she whimpered, "I'm not." She looked in Damon's eyes, "I spent Christmas by myself over there, and I thought about past Christmases with just Caroline, Elena, and I before everything got so complicated. It made me realize that those moments will never happen again. They can't."

"Why?" Damon implored, shaking Bonnie out of frustration. "Why can't it be like that again? Why do you hate your best friend?"

Damon's words sobered Bonnie up quickly. She forcefully removed herself from his arms and backed away. "I don't hate my best friend. I love her. She's not the same person, though. So, I'm letting her go. I'm letting everyone go." When her back hit the opposite wall, Bonnie slid down to a sitting position and sat there completely incapacitated. "I finally realized that no one has had my best interest this entire time, which is fine because I don't expect everyone to care. I care though, and I sacrificed a lot as a result. But I didn't get anything in return."

Her words infuriated Damon, causing him to slam his fist into the wall behind him. "Damn it, Bonnie! What about me? I don't mean anything? I fought to get you back; I needed you back here."

She grimaced, covering her ears briefly to muffle his yelling. "I know," she acknowledged. "I know that Damon. I appreciate it." Bonnie jumped, shocked when Damon appeared right in front of her.

"So do me a favor," Damon pleaded. His voice softened as he grabbed her face again, stroking her cheek. "Don't shut me out. Because, you are my friend. I've never had a true friend who thought I was worth anything until you."

Bonnie nodded. "Okay," she agreed to calm him down.

Damon stared at her, eyes scanning every part of her face. "I'm sorry I yelled before."

The lost puppy look Damon gave her made Bonnie melt. "No problem. I'm sorry I froze you earlier today." She quickly noticed a change in Damon's expression—now serious.

"Yeah, about Kai," he forced out.

"I don't want to get into another fight. I'm tired Damon." She tried to free herself from his grip but was unsuccessful; so she gave up and continued to listen.

"I need to know what that was—I mean the wanting to kill him thing I get—but why did you two leave the Grille arm in arm like you were best buddies?"

Bonnie shrugged, "I realized something. I couldn't kill him. It has less to do with Kai and more with me. I couldn't give into the darkness and kill him."

Damon frowned, "What do you mean give into the darkness? That's not who you are. It's not even a possibility. I'm the evil one in this friendship."

She couldn't resist laughing at him, "No you're not. You're far from evil. You have changed," She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Like Kai can." She stood up, quickly sighing in frustration when Damon stopped her again.

"What do you mean like Kai can? Don't tell me you developing a soft spot for the psycho?"

Rolling her eyes, Bonnie quipped. "It's not like I haven't done it before with another psycho I know."

"Ha ha ha," Damon sneered, "I was never a psycho. Just angry." He cowered away from her glare, "Okay more than angry, but I'm not him."

"I know you're not," she said. "It doesn't mean that I can't try to help him."

Her back turned, but she could still feel Damon's glare. "Are you delusional? He's just going to use you. I can't believe you are dead set on giving up on Elena but giving this prick a chance."

"It's what I do," Bonnie replied sarcastically, "Let people use me. Nothing new. I can handle Kai, and I don't expect anything from him unlike Elena who was supposed to be my sister." She shut her eyes, "I'm done talking about this. Go back to Elena and console her. I'm fine on my own." Her walls came up again, shutting Damon out.

He crossed his arms, a frown adorning his forehead. "You're going to do this again? Be huffy and puffy?"

She turned around, "I'll show you huffy and puffy." She raised her hand and blew air in his direction, sending the vampire flying out of the house and into her front yard with the front door slamming shut after him. Bonnie locked the door with her magic and returned to her dishes, ignoring the screams of Damon outside. When she finished the dishes and dried her hands, she placed her head into her hands and cried along with the sounds of Damon's incessant screaming. Letting out a frustrated yell of her own, Bonnie spun around and headed towards the front door.

Yanking it open, she peered out into the blackness and searched for him. "I'm sorry," she spoke into the night air. "I really am." Her eyes focused on the sudden appearance of Damon on her front porch.

"So stop doing that," he retorted. He stepped forward but stopped when he ran into an invisible barrier. He stared at her, growing increasingly more furious by the second. "Not again," he growled, "Witch…"

Bonnie shook her head, signaling him to stop talking. "I'm done fighting for tonight Damon, okay? Go back to Elena."

Damon didn't move. "Reverse the spell you just did and I will."

Relenting, Bonnie removed the spell and started to close her front door, but Damon pushed it forward again. He pulled her into a hug, effectively silencing any protests from her, and kissed her forehead before releasing her. "I'll see you tomorrow," he promised.

Bonnie watched him walk to his car. Speaking only when he sped away, "Okay." She stood in her doorway, her eyes gazing out into the darkness for a minute before finally stepping inside and closing her door.

**A/N: So, my Bamon fangirl tendencies show a lot in this chapter lol I really hope that the writers redeem themselves with this relationship. Even if it's not romantic, I think epic friendship is necessary. Thank you to everyone who is reading and an extra thank you to all those who leave reviews. Each one is appreciated! Kai is back next chapter! Yay.**


	5. Liberate

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Vampire Diaries**_**. **

**A/N: I just wanted to thank all of you who left reviews (I appreciate them very much!) and to all who favorited the story, put it on their alert list, and who are reading! The chapter title was inspired by "Liberate" by Eric Prydz, because the songs seems to fit this chapter somehow lol My song choices will be kinda random sometimes. Oh well!**

_Come what may… I will love you until my dying day._

"Come what may…" Bonnie sang along with the film playing on her flat screen TV while grabbing a tissue from her second opened tissue box and wiping her eyes. She decided to watch _Moulin Rouge_, one of her favorite movies, when Damon had texted her earlier in the day to let her know something came up with Elena, and he couldn't hang out. with her today. Bonnie wouldn't lie and say she wasn't disappointed…she really was. It wasn't enough that she lost one of her best friends in Elena, but Damon happened to be dating her again, which made things difficult and awkward for Bonnie who really bonded with Damon as a friend.

Bonnie's eyes scanned the room, focusing on the large assortment of snacks scattered across her coffee table. She honed in one in particular, a box of fruit rollups, and picked the box up to start snacking on them. As she ripped open the tiny package and placed a piece of fruit roll up in her mouth, the doorbell rung. Frowning, Bonnie stood up and wrapped her fluffy, blue bathrobe that looked like the night sky—one of her favorite gifts from Grams—around herself and she opened the door, immediately smiling when she recognized her visitor.

"Matt!" she exclaimed with a laugh, "What are you doing here?" Bonnie opened her arms, welcoming a hug from her one of her oldest, best friends.

"Bonnie," Matt smiled, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up into a warm embrace. "I just thought I'd visit my favorite Bennett. I missed you."

Bonnie tightened her grip on him as she replied, "I missed you too." She genuinely did. Once Matt placed her on the ground, Bonnie pushed her front door open and beckoned Matt to step inside. "Come in. I have plenty of snacks."

Her smile grew when Matt laughed. "Of course you do. You always have the best stash."

"So what brings you in the neighborhood?" she plopped down on the couch, searching for Matt's favorite snack of Oreos from underneath the pile. Once she found it, she picked it up and handed them to him with a knowing smile.

"Oreos! Awesome," Matt said as he took off his coat and draped it along the back of the couch. He accepted the cookies from her. "Thanks Bon."

She nodded her head, acknowledging his thanks and waited for him to eat before he answered her. "Today is actually my day off, and I had some time to spare before I need to pick up Esmeralda so I thought I'd visit you and see how you're doing." Concern overtook his handsome features, which prompted Bonnie to quickly change the subject. She cried enough over _Moulin Rouge_.

"How are things going with Esmeralda?" She gave him an elated smile, completely showing her excitement for him and his new relationship.

Matt couldn't resist the goofy grin that appeared on his face as he thought about the new girl in his life, "It's amazing Bon. Really."

Bonnie clapped her hands together, bouncing with joy at the news. If there was anyone in their group of friends who deserved peace and happiness it was Matt Donovan. "I'm so happy for you Matt. You deserve this."

Matt slung his arm around Bonnie's shoulder and gave her small hug. "Thanks Bon Bon."

"So since she is the new love of your life," Bonnie grinned when Matt blushed, "I need to meet her. We should hang out."

Placing another Oreo into his mouth, Matt nodded in agreement. "Definitely Bon. I…" he paused, trying to figure out the right way to express the concerns he had been having in his mind. "I haven't introduced her to anyone officially, you know. I know I need to, but—"he stopped when he felt Bonnie's hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," she comforted, "I understand Matt. I do."

Matt met her understanding gaze, deciding to confide in her. "She's human, Bon. Like me. I don't want to risk…if something happened to her…"

Bonnie nodded encouragingly and tightened her hold on his shoulder. "I know Matt. I know." Both Bonnie and Matt fell into a moment of silence, each thinking about the danger that always surrounds their group of friends. Bonnie understood better than anyone how important it was to hold onto one's humanity despite the supernatural chaos surrounding them. "You know I will do anything to protect you and her, right? As long as I'm around Mystic Falls, I will make sure you are safe. I mean, I know I'm not completely normal with my powers and all, but I'll use them to make sure you and who ever else is important to you will remain safe and human."

Matt couldn't resist the genuine smile that graced his face at Bonnie's words. "I know you would, and I appreciate it." He made sure to make eye contact with her, emphasizing the sincerity behind his words. "I've never been worried about you. I mean you and your magic never caused destruction—it started with vampires." He cleared his throat, shifting his position on the couch, and becoming visibly uncomfortable. "I hate admitting this Bon, but all of our problems started the minute Stefan and Damon returned to Mystic Falls and became involved with Elena." He grabbed her hand, sadness overtaking his face. "You know this already. You and I were the ones who resisted it all the most. I still have a hard time sometimes."

Bonnie nodded her head slightly, dropping her gaze to the floor as her good mood disappeared. "I get it, Matt. You have every right to feel that way. We both do." She sighed deeply, her voice cracking slightly with emotion, "But it is what it is. There's nothing we can change. Plus, Stefan and Damon have become a part of our lives too. And with Elena and Damon back together and now Caroline and Stefan's relationship—they aren't going anywhere."

"I know," Matt stated. "I really don't have a choice but to get over it considering Elena's dinner party thing."

"Dinner party?" Bonnie scratched her head and titled her head. "What's that about?"

Matt rolled his eyes before placing the Oreos on the coffee table and answering Bonnie. "Elena is somehow convinced that a dinner party with all of us will mend the awkwardness and tension between all of us and we will become a big, happy family. She wants to make new, better memories with Damon."

Clenching her teeth, Bonnie stood up abruptly, suddenly really annoyed and inclined to distract herself with something to do like cleaning. "Why doesn't she just get her memories back? You know" she dropped the box of animal crackers she was holding and faced Matt, "I don't care. I honestly don't. I'm tired of this stupid drama that means absolutely nothing. After I was trapped in 1994 fighting for my life, I just can't stand going back to the same routine—fussing over Elena and her issues. My father and grandmother are dead. You're sister—" she stopped when tears flooded her eyes, spilling down her face. She ran her fingers through her hair, already forming an apology, "I'm sorry Matt. I didn't mean to bring Vicky up." Bonnie grunted in frustration, her hand covering her mouth. "I'm sorry," she apologized weakly. She still felt horrible over the loss Matt has experienced over the years.

"Bonnie," Matt ran over to Bonnie and quickly wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. Don't cry." He rested his head against hers. "I know you've been having a difficult time, too. I'm sorry I didn't make more of an effort to talk to you and seek you out. I suck. We all do."

Patting his arm, Bonnie immediately reassured him. "Don't feel guilty, Matt. I was avoiding everyone anyway. I'll probably continue and not be at the party."

"No way," Matt argued. "Bonnie you have to go. Please. Give Esmeralda and I some normalcy."

Bonnie snorted, "Your normal witch friend? Yeah, that makes sense." Bonnie frowned when a new troubling thought just occurred to her. "Plus, aren't I the only single one in our group? Damon and Elena, Caroline and Stefan, Tyler and Liv, Alaric and Josette, Jeremy and what's her face, you and Esmeralda…."

"Who cares Bonnie? It's not a couple's party. Besides, you can bring someone. Just step outside, and the guys will line up outside your door to have a chance with you."

"You're hilarious, Matt." Bonnie stated humorously. "My first and only boyfriend cheated on me with a ghost and slept with 90% of the female Mystic Falls population when he thought I was dead, so I haven't had any luck in the romance department." Bonnie sighed, wincing at the idea of Kai being the closest example of a guy showing any interest in her at the moment—what type of interest was still up in the air. "But the last thing I'm looking for is a boyfriend." She lowered her head, focusing on her slippers. "I'm not in the right frame of mind for a relationship anyway."

"You were always the smart one, Bon. You'll find someone, and he's going to be amazing."

She couldn't help but smile, albeit sadly, at the comment. "I appreciate the optimism, Matt."

"That's me. Mr. Optimism." He laughed as his phone began to ring, and he mouthed an apology to Bonnie before he answered. "Hi, what's going on? You need me to get you now? Okay. I'll be there soon." Matt hung up his phone and faced Bonnie. "That was Esmeralda. Her class got dismissed early, and she's done for the day…" Bonnie didn't give Matt the opportunity to finish explaining.

"Say no more. Get your girl. We'll talk later," Bonnie waved towards the door with a genuine smile on her face that erased any remnants of pain that had shown on her face earlier. Seeing Matt happy and settled made coming back from the dead seem worth it her, which was a big deal since she had been regretting returning the moment she got back from the Other Side.

Matt smiled gratefully as he pulled her into a quick hug. "I'll call you later. You will be there on Saturday. Me and Es will make sure of it."

"Well then I guess I'll be a happy third wheel then," she giggled. Once Matt turned away, Bonnie's expression reverted back to its sad default mode, which quickly changed again into a look of shock once Matt opened her front door and revealed a serene looking Kai holding a bouquet of sunflowers.

"Delivery from 1-800-Flowers for a Miss Bonnie Bennett," announced Kai as he flashed them a big smile.

Bonnie didn't have time to properly glare at the warlock, since she had to do something to appease a confused and surprised Matt.

Matt blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "Why is Liv's psycho older brother standing on your front porch?"

Kai frowned, visibly insulted by Matt's words. "I resent that," he pouted.

Bonnie struggled to find a proper explanation for this crazy situation—not just Kai showing up at her house but just whatever was happening between her and Kai in the first place. Based on the headache now ailing her, Bonnie decided to go with a quick, vague response. "Don't worry Matt. I can handle it. I can handle him," she tried to reassure the worried blonde as she steered him towards his car.

"Bonnie," Matt attempted to argue, "He's dangerous."

"Matt," Bonnie made an effort to really emphasize her point as she tried to convince him that she had a handle on everything, "I promise you that I will be fine. My magic is stronger than ever. If anything, I am the only person who can keep him in check. And I'll do that. Be sure to tell Tyler and Alaric, too."

Matt stood there, admiring his best friend. She was always the protector of their group—the strongest person he knew. "Okay, Bon. But, I'm calling you later and if you don't pick up I'm sending the SWAT team over here."

Bonnie nudged Matt's shoulder, her lips curling upwards. "Go on." She waved before quickly turning back and approaching Kai who had patiently waited on her porch.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned.

"I'm here to visit my new buddy." When Bonnie gave him threatening look, he decided to surrender. "Okay, I was bored and wanted to bother you. Plus, I had to prove that I was keeping my promise to avoid killing and wreaking havoc for at least 48 hours, remember? In case, you didn't know, I kept it."

Her eyes softened, relief flooding through her at the thought of Kai trying to control himself. The fact that he seemed to only do it because she asked gave her butterflies that she didn't want. "You mean half way through your promise. It's only been about 24 hours." She took a risk and stepped closer to him, now focusing on the flowers in his hand.

"Well, it's a start," he retorted. His line of vision followed her own, making his impassive façade slightly disappear and be replaced with one that actually showed adoration. He handed her the flowers, "I picked these on the way over here."

Fighting a smile, Bonnie accepted the flowers and cradled them in her arms. "Sure," she said. "They're beautiful." She tried to hide her appreciation for the gift, but she couldn't manage very well.

"So, anything interesting happen? I'm getting kind of bored."

"Bored because you're not actively seeking ways to gain more power?"

Kai didn't resist in responding with a self-assured, "Yes."

Bonnie just shook her head at him. "I actually just received news that Damon and Elena are having a get together, which I'll have to go to." She noticed Kai's eyes light up and immediately shut his idea down, "You're not going." When she noticed his brief moment of excitement pass, she felt a little bad about her harsh approach to letting him know he wasn't welcome. " It's obviously for the best that you aren't there since your sisters will be there." Bonnie surprised herself by how apologetic she sounded. Why was she apologetic?

"Oh right. Considering the murdering and awkwardness that will follow, yeah." His nonchalance unnerved Bonnie until he looked into her eyes, and she had a chance to see a trace of emotion lying behind his eyes. "So, you'll be going alone?" He watched her closely, anticipating her answer.

"Yes," she answered. "I'll actually be a third wheel amongst all of my friends who will be coupled up, but whatever." Bonnie walked towards her porch swing and sat down. She didn't protest when Kai joined her.

"Why are you going in the first place? Didn't you say Elena was throwing it?"

Bonnie remained silent, only giving Kai a faint sign of acknowledgement when she nodded her head slowly.

Kai frowned, leaning over to rest his elbows on his knees. "So you decided to rejoin the gang with no questions asked?"

Bonnie laughed, a bitter rather than happy one. "No. Matt asked me to go. Caroline will be there, and I owe Damon. He's the only one who worked really hard to get me back here. The rest of them would've rather me stay dead than risk releasing you. So, I have one more obligation to attend and satisfy Damon's need to make Elena happy. Then, I'll have to decide what to do next." She retreated into silence, mulling over her situation.

"That sounds ominous. What are you planning?" He was genuinely curious.

It took a minute for Bonnie to answer him, but when she did her voice carried an air of finality and confidence. "Leaving Mystic Falls."

Stunned, Kai could only sit and stare at Bonnie. He did not expect that.

"You're serious?"

"Yes," she whispered with conviction. "I need to get away for a while. I'm taking a leave of absence from school right now on count of dying for the third time, and I just think it's time for me to get away and clear my head. Decide what I need to live for, because the longer I stay here…I'm drowning, Kai." She met his intense gaze with a desperate look of her own. "I need to go."

Kai's eyes traveled every facet of Bonnie's face before settling on her sad eyes. "When will you leave?"

Bonnie turned, desperate to avoid his gaze as she says her next words. There's no going back now. "I won't leave until after the dinner party where I'll and tell everyone my plans. Plus, I need proof that a certain warlock isn't going to go into crazy revenge mode while I'm gone."

Kai's hands gripped the edge of the swing so tightly that his knuckles turned a ghostly white, "Even after everything your shitty friends have done for you—which is nothing by the way—you are still intent on protecting them? You amaze me, Bennett." He chuckled, "I wonder what it feels like to care that much."

"It hurts, Kai. Like hell. But I do it anyway, because it's the right thing to do." Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, unable to come up with any further explanation for her constant sacrificing. She was worn out by it all.

Kai must have sensed her discouragement, because Bonnie felt his hand grab her own, interlacing his fingers with hers in a constricting grip that made Bonnie flinch. He loosened his hold on her hand but brought it to meet his lips. He didn't kiss the back of her hand; instead, he just rested his chin against it and reveled in the fact that Bonnie didn't pull away.

"How are you going to make sure that I behave while you're gone, Bennett?" His voice coaxed the answer right out of Bonnie; effortlessly as if he was someone special asking her to express how much she adored him or something.

"By you coming with me," she stated. She almost smiled at the baffled expression on Kai's face. It was priceless.

"I must be hallucinating. Is Bonnie Bennett asking me, Kai Parker, to accompany her on a road trip? That sounds awfully romantic," he teased.

Bonnie kept a serious tone as she spoke. "It's not what you think, _Malachai_." She felt joy in his clear annoyance at her using his full name. "I need to keep an eye on you. How else can I do that other than taking you with me. It'll be for a week tops until I decide where I want to go permanently." Bonnie tried to release her hand from his grip, but she couldn't.

"You could just kill me," Kai offered. "If I'm such a huge annoyance then it would solve everything, right? My sisters and brother would be thrilled. Damon would be ecstatic. You probably would feel relieved." His stare felt like it was burning a hole right through her. She shuddered, but tried to keep her composure.

"You already know that I'm not going to do that. I told you that I'm giving you a chance, but that doesn't mean that I can conveniently forget everything else that happened in 1994, especially your vendetta against your family. I won't let you hurt them. So, I guess I'm stuck asking you to keep me company. Can you do that?" She looked at him, waiting for a confirmation from him.

Biting his lip, Kai's eyes lingered on Bonnie's lips. "I think I can. On one condition."

Bonnie scoffed, immediately turning him down. "I am not sleeping with you." Her glare grew in intensity as he doubled over in laughter.

"As much as I love that idea, it's not what I was thinking," he replied still laughing. "You need to announce to all of your friends that you are taking this road trip with me. Even if I can't be there the look on all of their faces—it's going to be so good."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "I think they'll figure it out right away. I know the first thing one of them will ask is 'what about Kai?' I'll assure them that it's taken care of. You won't be a threat, because you'll be with me, and I can keep an eye on you."

"An eye on me, huh?" Licking his lips, Kai released his hold on Bonnie's hand and crossed his arms across his chest. He still couldn't wrap his mind around Bonnie not wanting to kill him and willingly take him with her on a trip without any other reason beyond 'protecting the friends.' Within the past two days, Bonnie had confided in him, spent time with him, and even expressed hope in the possibility he'll change. Now Kai knew that he wouldn't instantly transform into this super apologetic, nice guy who becomes an upstanding citizen in society—rather he would continue to feed off his need for power and live with the deep resentment he has for his family. He's destructive by nature, completely contrasting with the obviously benevolent Bonnie who healed and protected, but it was their opposite natures that drew Kai closer to the Bennett witch. It's like his energy was drawn to her own—the yin and the yang—and they both somehow fit. In his mind at least. As Kai watched Bonnie, he couldn't help but accept the fact that whether his intentions were pure or not, he was captivated by her. "I know I don't have a choice, but just to let you know, I am not protesting at all." He placed his hands behind his head, simultaneously sliding into a more relaxed position on the swing. "Where are we headed?"

Bonnie grabbed a piece of her short hair to twirl around her finger. "I haven't really decided yet. I just need to get out of here for a while."

"How will I know you're ready to go?"

"I'll probably be leaving right after the get together—probably after I break the news—or Sunday morning. Either way it's very soon, so pack a suitcase."

Kai smirked, amused by Bonnie telling him to pack for a trip they'll be taking _together._ "Okay, I'll give you my number to let me know when you ready to ditch this place."

"How did you get a cell phone?"

"I bought it…?"

"With what money?"

"I have my ways, Bennett. No need to worry."

Bonnie wanted to press the issue of exactly how Kai had been living day to day in the real world, but she figured it was useless for now. "Here," she gave him her phone, "Put your number in, I'll send you a text so that you'll have mine."

"Aw," he exclaimed, "This is how it starts. We'll be telling our children one day about how mom and dad first exchanged numbers, went on a road trip, and a bunch of other stuff." He grinned at Bonnie, nudging her arm persistently.

Bonnie returned his smile, exuding fake glee. "And how mommy and daddy tried to kill each other?" Her smile disappeared as she shook her head in disapproval. "Don't think so."

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." He beamed when she rolled her eyes at him and muttered 'whatever' under her breath while rising from her seat.

When her cell phone buzzed, signaling the arrival of a new text message, Bonnie quickly looked at her phone and prepared to grab it from Kai's hands, but the annoyed expression he held startled her and served as a big distraction. "Who is it?"

Kai's demeanor quickly changed as he now smiled widely at her, faking enthusiasm. "Your boyfriend."

Bonnie grimaced at the idea of Jeremy contacting her, but once she retrieved her phone again and checked the message, she channeled her anger at Kai. "Not funny," she said upon noticing the message from Damon apologizing for not visiting her today.

Kai quickly defended himself, "Lighten up Bennett. You have to admit how ridiculous Damon's obsession with that girl is—I mean I don't really get it."

Not being able to contain her pure resentment for the topic of this conversation, Bonnie scoffed and quickly explained to Kai the simple answer to the puzzling question. "Damon has been fixed on Elena from the moment he returned to Mystic Falls, even when he was preoccupied with finding his former girlfriend Katherine—who happened to also be Elena's doppelganger—so there is no mystery surrounding his connection with her. It's just the way it is."

"Hold on," Kai stated with wide eyes, "You mean to tell me Damon had a girlfriend who was basically Elena's twin?" Kai burst out laughing and wiped his eyes. "That's fucking crazy."

Seeing Kai genuinely find the situation ridiculous humored Bonnie, and before she could help it, she was joining in on the laughter. "It really is," she agreed. They both shared a smile, their laughs slowing down, and they soon regained their composure. To Bonnie, sharing a moment where she felt at ease with Kai offered her a lot of comfort even after Matt's visit. She felt less alone, especially since Kai noticed things about her friends that had been bothering Bonnie herself. He perceived them from unbiased perspective, and one that wasn't sugarcoated at all—it made Bonnie feel drawn to him, since she began to think the same way about them during her isolation in 1994. But feeling a connection with Kai in any way posed pure danger. There couldn't have been a good ending to this.

"He's crazy," Kai added after a moment of comfortable silence between the two. "He had you alone for 4 months and he chose his lame ex-girlfriend who had her memories of him erased?" He shook his head, stepping closer to Bonnie, "His loss. My gain," he smiled mischievously and raised his arms when he saw her smile being replaced with a scowl. "I'm just speaking the truth." He stood up and approached Bonnie.

Bonnie instinctively took a step back to create some distance, but she found herself trapped when her back ran into a pillar. "Kai, do I need to give you an aneurysm?" Her warning didn't discourage Kai from invading her personal space completely and trapping her by settling both arms on the railing surrounding the porch.

"Not necessary, Bennett. I'm just saying goodbye." He leaned forward until his forehead touched hers and remained in that position for a moment. "I'll see you soon." He gave her one more longing glance before pulling away, "Nice bathrobe," he added with a smile before turning around.

He had already begun to walk away when Bonnie finally regained the ability to breathe normally. She was in trouble.

**A/N: Sorry to take a little long to update, but my gift to you all- regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, etc—is an extra longer chapter. I have to admit, when I heard one of the VD producers talk about how Damon and Elena were going to go through a "honeymoon period" after the show returns from its winter hiatus, I pretty much gagged at the ridiculous turn this show has taken. I'm not trying to bash Delena, because I know so many people like them (I have never been a fan of their relationship, so I don't get their appeal); however, the idea of them experiencing something as innocent, carefree, and genuine as a "honeymoon" period after all of the messed up stuff that happened between them and their friends (cough—cough— Bonnie— cough) is purely laughable. I want to hear about how all of the other characters are doing, including Bonnie, but the fact that I'm hearing more about Delena just makes my decision to stop watching the show altogether much easier. Hopefully, there will be some good storylines for Bonnie, Caroline, Stefan, and Matt (the characters who I actually like) that I can catch up on. But, I kind of lost faith in the direction this show has taken. I miss the Original days. Now, it's becoming pathetic. But Bonnie is still awesome, so I guess that's what really matters. Anyway, thanks for sticking around for my long rant, and I hope you enjoy the chapter! **


	6. Runaway

**Disclaimer: Still don't own **_**The Vampire Diaries**_**. If I did Elena wouldn't even be part of the cast anymore ha! But seriously, she wouldn't. **

**A/N: This chapter's title was inspired by "Runaway" by Real McCoy. Finally, the first 90's song I'm using! **

At 7 pm Bonnie found herself standing in front of the Salvatore mansion wondering why she was there in the first place. If it were up to her, she would already be on the road driving miles away from Mystic Falls to her next destination, far from the reality she faced here in Virginia, which really centered around her friends. Too much had happened to Bonnie for her to be able to sit at a table and smile at everyone around her as if everything was simply fine. As a matter of fact, things were far from okay. They were horrible, confusing, and scary. She still had nightmares that haunted her sleep, thus tainting the one part of her routine that was supposed to be a break from her daily emotional pain. Instead, she tossed and turned, woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, and cried herself, many times to sleep. This misery extended from her traumatic experience in 1994; her countless incidents that called for her to fight against crazy opponents like Klaus, Silas, Katherine, and more; and her uneasiness about her relationships with everyone around her. At this point the relationships seemed fragile, and Bonnie knew without a doubt that tonight will be a disaster. The word part of all of it is that she knew her friends will not react badly upon finding about her trip and travel companion out of concern for her safety; instead, they are going to accuse her of putting them all in danger and reprimand her for being selfish. One tiny part of her scolded her for thinking this way, but the larger part insisted that she was completely right about how they would all react. Shaking her head, Bonnie willed her feet to move towards the elaborately carved front door to face her doom, but before she could knock on the door a voice calked her name, forcing her to stop and turn towards the new arrival.

Jeremy walked briskly towards her, clutching the hand of a petite blonde girl who was struggling to keep up with the impatient boy. Bonnie felt pity for the girl-both for dating Jeremy and for being thrust into this crazy, screwed up group of friends.

Soon Jeremy reached her. "Bonnie," he repeated her name again, "You came." The awkwardness of this situation bothered Bonnie who really had no patience for it at this point. She decided to combat her own discomfort about this entire night with a mask of friendly, enthusiasm, which she immediately utilized with Jeremy. "Of course, I came! Wouldn't miss it." She flashed a convincing smile and focused her attention on Jeremy's date. "I'm Bonnie," she greeted amiably while nodding in the girl's direction.

Jeremy's date looked relieved as she was greeted by a friendly face and responded to Bonnie eagerly. "I'm Kendra. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," returned Bonnie in a genuinely earnest manner. She couldn't be angry with the girl for Jeremy's actions; he broke her heart, so he'll be the only one she'll resent. "So are you ready to eat? I can't wait to see what Damon and Elena made." At this point, Bonnie only addressed Kendra and pointedly ignored Jeremy. Before he had the chance to say anything, Bonnie turned around and knocked on the door. To her relief, Damon opened it.

"Bonnie." He smiled softly, relief at her presence clearly showing from the way his eyes lit up at the sight of her.

Bonnie nodded her head in his direction, momentarily forgetting to maintain her happy facade, and she looked at him with uncertainty. "For you and Elena," she handed him the basket filled with vibrant violets that Bonnie arranged herself.

Damon briefly observed the flowers, quickly returning his attention to her. "They're beautiful, Bon." He wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her in closer to kiss her head briefly. Bonnie closed her eyes at the gesture, trying to soak in the moment of the affectionate gesture before Damon would inevitably flip out at her when she announced her plans. Bonnie feared his reaction the most.

"I thought you could use it as a center piece," she offered weakly, still visibly uncomfortable with being there. A sudden squeal of delight resounded through the foyer, causing Bonnie and Damon to look in the direction of the noise. Standing there, in all her glory, was Elena Gilbert smiling excitedly with her arms open wide. "Bonnie" she exclaimed while rushing forward to capture Bonnie in a hug, "I'm so happy you're here."

Bonnie returned the hug, an instinctual reaction, and tried her best to maintain her happy composure. "Thanks for inviting me," she smiled. Pointing to the basket of flowers, Bonnie continued, "I brought you some flowers for the table." She noticed the elation emanating from the tall brunette, and a part of her felt her stomach lurch painfully at the sight of her best friend—she looked like the Elena she grew up with.

"My favorite flowers," Elena clapped happily before resting her arm on Damon's shoulders. "She brought my favorite flowers, Damon."

With his eyes focused on Bonnie, Damon responded to his girlfriend. "She did," he smiled softly at Bonnie before excusing himself to bring the flowers into the dining room. As soon as he left, Elena noticed her brother and his guest, so she apologized to Bonnie and directed her attention to greeting them. Bonnie wasn't alone for long, since a small body slammed into her own and entrapped her into a tight hug that cut off Bonnie's circulation.

"Bonnie," Caroline said as she rested her head on Bonnie's shoulder. "I'm so happy to see you." Caroline blinked back some tears as she pulled away and looked at her best friend. Guilt seeped into the blonde's mind at how little she has seen of her best friend since she came back to life.

Recognizing the look, Bonnie sought to comfort Caroline. "Care, it's okay." Tears formed in Bonnie's eyes as she thought of Liz Forbes. "How's your mother?"

The blonde wiped her eyes, trying to uphold a strong front with regard to her mother's illness. "She's okay. In good spirits," she lowered her head when the weight of her devastation over her mother's illness really hit her. "I've been trying to spend every second with her," she whispered.

Bonnie nodded her head as she wrapped an arm around Caroline's shoulders. "Like I told you before, your mother is strong. She's going to get through this and so are you," she mustered up her best smile. "I promise," she added.

Caroline hugged Bonnie tighter, "Thanks," she wiped her eyes, desperate to switching to a more lighthearted topic. "So fill me in on any news. Anything exciting happen other than hanging out with the unstable but hot witch guy?" She quickly inspected her surroundings before moving closer to Bonnie to whisper, "Don't tell Stefan I admitted that."

A real smile graced Bonnie's face, "What would I do without you Care?"

The two girls giggled, continuing their conversation in the dining room.

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The dinner passed without much trouble for Bonnie who chatted with the friends sitting near her—which to her delight comprised of Matt, Esmeralda, Caroline, and Stefan-and she found herself relaxing with them. Matt and Caroline were the only two people in the group who always reciprocated the concern she had for them, so spending time with them made her feel peaceful and grateful to be there. She forgot how much really missed them. Of course things were too perfect, and Elena of all people decided to remind Bonnie exactly why she didn't want to attend this gathering in the first place.

"So Bonnie," Elena announced over the various chatter at the table. "We are all so grateful that you're here with us," Elena paused to place her hand over her heart as if she were preparing to give a dramatic, heartfelt speech, "And we all are so thankful for your help in our plan," Elena's demeanor darkened, completely contrasting with her sweet, enthusiastic attitude that she possessed just a moment ago. "Once we get rid of Kai then everything could go back to normal," she finished with an elated smile that completely mismatched the intentions behind her words. Before everyone could breathe again, Bonnie had to do one more thing to help everyone out—of course.

The realization that her presence is still being used to solve another problem amongst her group of friends tugged at her heart, causing it to pound almost painfully. It proved how things were still the same after everything that has happened. Her hurt feelings compelled to finally share her news with everyone. "Since we're on this topic, I'll just wanted to let you all know that I'm leaving Mystic Falls for a week to get away and possibly look for a new place to settle." She refused to look at anyone else at the table besides Elena. "So I guess you're going to have a couple of more sleepless nights, Elena. Sorry for the inconvenience," she delivered her words in such an icy tone that Caroline place her hand on Bonnie's shoulder to calm her down.

Alaric chose this moment to jump in, "But what about Kai? He's a danger to all of us." He grabbed Josette's hand and stroked it while Josette herself say quietly at her seat with a worried expression.

Bonnie repressed the urge to laugh at her prediction coming true but chose to continue with her news so that she may have hope of leaving soon. "No one has to worry about him," she made a point to make eye contact with both Josette and Liv, "I won't let him hurt you, I promise. I'm strong enough to keep your brother in line, and I will make sure he will be accounted for during every second of my trip until we get back."

Tyler tightened his hold around Liv's shoulders and intervened in the conversation when he couldn't take hearing about his girlfriend's crazy brother running lose anymore. Plus, hearing Bonnie defend Kai of all people confused him. "How is it a good idea to take him with you on a trip when we could just kill him?" He asked her in an accusatory tone. He clenched his teeth, trying to control his temper, "Did he brainwash you or something?"

The pace of Bonnie's breathing quickened as her fury over Tyler's statement consumed her. Kai brainwashing her implies her own weakness and that Kai is the one in control—neither of which are true. Once again, her friends doubted her yet still expected her to save the day. The hypocrisy of it all infuriated her, making her lose the last bit of control she possessed. "Him brainwashing me?" She retorted, sending a hostile look in Tyler's direction. "That's a joke. My powers have strengthened since I came back from the Other Side. Don't forget how much I fought to get back here without your help. So don't tell me that I need to be careful about Kai—he needs to be careful with me." She pushed her chair back suddenly, causing the table to rattle. "I'm not telling you this to get your permission. I wanted to let you know that I am getting away for awhile so I could breathe, and I figured I would do you all a service by taking Kai with me so that he couldn't try to attack you. Your welcome," Bonnie hissed.

Her last words finally pushed Damon past his boiling point, and he finally snapped out of his trance to confront her. "Are you fucking kidding me, witch?" he spat venomously while standing up. His tone of voice sent shivers down everyone's spines—he looked like the old murderous Damon they all wanted to forget. "You're telling me that you're willing to go on a little trip with the same guy who tried to kill you and I multiple times, who succeeded in killing most of his family, and is still trying to finish the job? Have you completely lost your mind?" He kicked his chair backwards, sending it flying behind him, and tried to walk towards Bonnie but Elena managed to hold him back.

"You know what, Damon," stated Bonnie, her own voice matching the tone and volume of Damon's, "I have lost my mind. After years of finally sacrificing myself for everyone at this table and having to spend months alone in an alternative universe with only my guilt and devastation to keep me company, I _have_ most definitely finally snapped. But despite my issues, I still will not lower myself to your level—vampire—and kill someone if I don't see him as a threat, especially if he is a warlock. I have disappointed the Bennett line enough by associating myself with vampires like you and betraying other witches. I am done taking orders from you or anyone." Bonnie knew it was a low blow to use the 'I'm a witch and you're an abomination of nature; therefore, I'm better than you' card in this situation, especially with a room of close friends who also happened to be vampires, but Bonnie couldn't control the words flying from her mouth. "You all have someone at this table who looks out for you," her voice broke, "But I don't. I'm looking out for myself. So, you should just thank me for protecting you, your girlfriend, her brother, her guardian, and everyone else at this table."

Damon roughly released himself from Elena's grasp and took a few steps closer to Bonnie. "I knew it," he seethed, his eyes raking over her, "You are nothing but a weak witch—a disappointment to the Bennett line. I know Emily Bennett and your grandmother are rolling around in both of their graves." He spoke the words so effortlessly, like he was talking about the weather or something. The words were enough to make every single person sitting at the table gape at the pair, unable to move or speak a word due to the train wreck they were observing.

Bonnie inhaled sharply, mulling over his words angrily in her mind. Without another moment of hesitation, Bonnie smacked Damon across the face, her words now muffled by her crying. "I hate you," she screamed, "You killed my grandmother. How dare you ever speak about her in her grave!" She ran her fingers through her hair, pulling at the ends frantically. "She's dead, because of your stupid selfish nature. Don't turn this around on me and make me the bad guy." She pointed at him, "I take what I said in the cave back. There are a million people I would rather be stuck in oblivion with than you, and Kai is at the top of the list."

Hurt flashed across Damon's face, his emotions transitioning between regret at his own harsh words to fury over Bonnie's proclamation of hatred for him. The conflicting emotions he displayed, mostly through his eyes, was the last thing Bonnie could remember seeing before her vision blacked out briefly due to Damon's hands around her neck.

For what felt like forever, Bonnie could only stand there staring at Damon in horror as the breath in her lungs was literally stolen away from his harsh grip, and his eyes—resembling something along the lines of being possessed—bore through her own. When her shock at being attacked by Damon passed, her self-defense instincts kicked in and she sent a searing pain through Damon's head that brought him to his knees and gave both Stefan and Alaric the chance to grab him to keep him away from her.

The yells of panic from her various friends—the loudest coming from Caroline and Matt—rung through her ears, and Bonnie started to lose her balance, but before she could hit the ground, the arms of Jeremy and Tyler surrounded her and kept her steady. To Bonnie, time at this point completely stalled, almost as if she were watching a horrible accident in slow motion that she could not prevent. Still terrified of Damon, Bonnie continued to stare at his hunched over form, waiting for him to lunge at her again once she stopped the spell that incapacitated him. But this moment never came. Instead, Damon's eyes glazed over as if he were under a spell, and he didn't protest as Stefan and Alaric dragged him out of the room like a ragdoll. What broke Bonnie's own trance were Damon's screams of agony, guilt, or frustration—Bonnie couldn't tell—that echoed through the mansion once he was out of view. He realized what he just did.

Hearing Damon's screams drove her to distance herself from the mansion as fast as possible, and she tore out of Tyler and Jeremy's grasp, avoiding Elena's attempts at grabbing her, and raced out of the house. Once she got to her car, she frantically searched for her keys that were tucked into the pocket of her dress and pulled out her cell phone. Despite the intense tremors assaulting her body, she managed to type a shaky message to Kai.

_30 minutes. Be at my house. We're leaving now. –Bonnie_

Ignoring the instant buzzing of her cell phone that signaled Kai's response, Bonnie opened her car door, but a hand shot out of nowhere keeping it open. She turned to face a whimpering, panic stricken Caroline.

"Bonnie, don't go," Caroline pleaded. Her eyes widened when she saw the bruises forming on Bonnie's neck. "He's gone. Locked in his room where he can't hurt you."

Bonnie shook her head, eyes wide. "I can't go back in there, Care. I just need to go." She couldn't bear to think about what just happened between her and Damon. They have fought both verbally and physically, but this was a whole other level for them considering how close they have grown over the past months. Her heart hurt over the shock of it all. "Now more than ever since..." Bonnie raised her hands to touch her bruises neck, unable to speak further on Damon's rage filled attack.

Caroline understood, her eyes traveled to where Bonnie's hands were, and as the blonde stared at her best friend's neck, she began to cry even harder. "Bon." She tried to calm down so that she could try to get her thoughts out. "You'll still come back after a week, right? You won't just disappear tomorrow, and I'll never see you again?" Caroline's voice broke with every word, revealing her debilitating fear of losing her best friend—again.

Trying her best to soothe her best friend, Bonnie nodded. "I'll never just leave you and not say anything. I'll be back in a week," the promise was hard to make now after her fight with Damon, but Bonnie needed to return for Caroline and Matt. "I will call you once I get to the place I'm traveling to."

Caroline managed a weak nod, throwing her arms around Bonnie before wordlessly pulling away and watching Bonnie—her bruised best friend—get into her car and speed away. Anger slowly began to consume her. Damon was dead.

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When Bonnie arrived at her house, she quickly grabbed the bags she had packed the night before and rushed to put them in her car, not noticing when Kai arrived with a bag slung over his shoulder.

"Good evening Bennett," Kai arrived prepared to start teasing her, the usual routine, but his words were lost when he saw the look of pure, raw sorrow on her face. He just stared when she reached for his bag and placed it in the trunk, walking to the front of the car before he had a chance to say anything.

"Ready?" She watched him walk over to her, his eyes inspecting her closely as he leaned against the car. As Kai perched on the hood of Bonnie's car, a piece of Bonnie's scarf that she had thrown on in a frenzy earlier fell, exposing a patch of black and blue patch of skin. He sat quietly just staring at her neck before he reached out and stroked the bruised skin softly.

"Who did that to you?" His voice revealed no emotion, which contrasted with the mix of rage and concern present in his eyes. Bonnie could only meet his eyes briefly before turning away and gazing out into the black, nothingness.

Tears trickled down Bonnie's face as she fought to maintain her composure. "Damon," she answered.

"What?" Kai sputtered, hopping off the car and standing in front of her. He grabbed her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "He…what happened?" Kai felt like he was in the Twilight Zone—here he was comforting Bonnie and feeling—actually feeling—genuine concern over another human being—while Damon, who claimed to be Bonnie protector and friend, hurt her. The roles were completely reversed.

To Kai's surprise, Bonnie placed her hand over his and clutched it tightly. "Kai, I can't even begin to make sense of it. I really need to go. Let's get out of here," she let go of his hand and stepped away whispering, "please" as she did so.

He remained in place, trying to make sense out of the news that Damon attacked Bonnie, but he quickly gave up. These past couple of days with Bonnie have been bizarre, so making sense of anything seemed futile. "I'm sorry," the apology sounded awkward and forced but Bonnie appreciated it nonetheless.

"It's fine," she tried to sound casual, "It's not much of a surprise really. I'm used to him attacking me and not caring about my safety." Not too long ago, Damon threatened Bonnie with a fireplace tool if she didn't bring back his brother from the Other Side, and he called her worthless when they were in 1994. Things didn't change too much. Bonnie covered her mouth, trying to fend off the tears she felt threatening to fall at any second if she thought about Damon any longer. "Let's just go," she said while getting into the car.

Once Kai settled into his seat, Bonnie stuck the keys in the ignition and moved the car forward without once looking back at the town she drove by. It wasn't until they reached the highway that Kai broke the silence, first lowering the radio blasting a Demo Lovato song, so he could be heard. "Where are we going?"

Without looking at him, Bonnie answered. "New Orleans."

**A/N: …Well that escalated quickly lol. Happy New Year! Sorry to begin it with such angst, but it had to be done. I feel like Damon is always one step close to completely losing it and reverting back to 'murdering, evil, don't care about anybody else's feelings Damon', so I figured his reaction to news of Bonnie protecting Kai and willingly going somewhere with him would completely push him over the edge. This doesn't mean that he doesn't care about her, but I see their relationship as really complicated. Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter, and thanks to all of you who leave reviews and are following this story! Please bear with me between updates. Sometimes it takes a little while. Thanks!**


	7. Save Tonight

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Vampire Diaries**_**. Just having some fun.**

**A/N: Chapter title song inspiration: "Save Tonight" by Eagle- Eye Cherry**.

It didn't take long for the Salvatore mansion to clear out after Bonnie's departure, and soon, it was only Caroline, Stefan, Elena, and Damon remaining in the house. With a lot of convincing and physical restraint, Stefan managed to keep Caroline away from Damon as he dealt with the fallout of trying to choke Bonnie, but Caroline couldn't completely let what just happened go—she pleaded with Stefan, once they reached his room and had some privacy, to explain just why she shouldn't rush in there and confront Damon.

"I don't know, Stefan. I think we need to go in there and see just what the hell he was thinking. I just can't—" Caroline tangled her fingers through her hair, tugging almost violently at it as she became increasingly more frustrated. "He could have killed her. Right in front of everyone. This is the same guy that yelled at all of us for not trying harder to rescue her. What's wrong with him?" Caroline's voice rose as she spoke this last question, finally reaching a point of complete hysteria. She couldn't stop pacing the floor and tugging at her hair nervously.

Trying to remain calm as possible, both for Caroline and himself, Stefan responded in a soothing tone. "Try to relax a little bit, you're going to make yourself sick." He reached out to grab her arm, stopping her nervous movements and led her to the edge of his bed where they both sat down. "Damon is a wreck, Caroline. Even if you yell at him, he will not listen. There's nothing you can say or do that is worse than what he's doing to himself now." Stefan frowned, concern overwhelming him. When he and Alaric left the room, Damon was inconsolable.

Caroline inhaled deeply, patting Stefan's hand in a futile effort to comfort him. She knew Stefan was really worried about his brother, and she could sympathize despite hating Damon right now. "I don't get it. I mean I know Damon has always given Bonnie a hard time, but he always seemed to have a soft spot for her." She peeked at Stefan, who was listening diligently to her with his face in his hands. "I'd never thought, especially now, that he would do that to her," Caroline gulped heavily when tears streamed down her face. "He could have killed her Stefan," she sobbed. Caroline would be haunted for a very long time at the image of Damon choking Bonnie, and she still couldn't believe it happened only a few hours ago.

Stefan lifted his face, turning towards Caroline with a sigh. Dark circles were forming under his eyes which were also wet with unshed tears of his own. He was worried about Bonnie and his brother. "He does care," Stefan replied morosely. "Damon has always been sensitive—he feels emotions at an extreme level, and when he cares about someone, he won't let them go." He rubbed his face, trying to keep any tears from falling. "His obsession with Katherine spanned a century, and now he is occupied by Elena." He pauses, allowing a tense void of silence to fill the room. "But Bonnie…he cares for her, too. I'd never thought I'd see the day he would, but he really does." Stefan's shoulders slumped over as if he were defeated or surrendering to something. "He's a mess in there."

Caroline had no choice but to fix her full attention on Stefan when she heard the unsteadiness of his voice. She had never seen Stefan this emotional. "What's he doing?" She asked the question with extreme delicacy, afraid to hear the answer based on Stefan's broken, sad demeanor.

"He's catatonic. Not moving at all. He's been that way, since he started panicking after Alaric and I dragged him out of the room. He just…he fell in a state of shock, barely moving when we brought him upstairs. I thought I heard him mumble 'Bonnie' under his breath repeatedly, but I could only detect it if I strained my hearing to catch it."

Caroline pondered Stefan's explanation, growing increasingly more disturbed with every new detail about Damon's reaction to what he did. She has never heard of Damon losing control like that or having a mental breakdown of any kind whatsoever that derived from guilt. Sometimes, she struggled with accepting the fact that Damon could even feel a human emotion like guilt.

"Wow," she sighed. "I had no idea it was like that. What about Elena?" At the sound of her name, coincidentally, Elena let out a wailing cry that almost shook the house. Both Caroline and Stefan looked at each other before quickly getting up and rushing to Elena. They found her on her knees, pounding at the door and begging Damon to let her in.

"Damon," she wailed, "Please let me in. I want to help you. Please," she persisted in her pleas despite silence on the other side of the door.

The sight of Elena as a blubbering mess over Damon's condition angered Caroline, driving her forward to grab the crying girl's arm and drag her away from the door. "Elena. You need to chill," scolded Caroline. She shook her head, feeling immense shame at her best friend—Elena didn't mention Bonnie once after the incident. It was Damon, Damon, Damon. All the time.

"Damon needs to be alone," interjected Stefan. He lost his patience with the brunette and her unhealthy attachment to her brother a long time ago, and this really showed by the intense glare he was sending her way. "Just give him some time and try to rest yourself."

Shaking her head furiously, Elena resembled a petulant child throwing a temper tantrum. "No, no, no, no!" Her eyes darted between Caroline and Stefan. "Damon needs me. I'm his girlfriend, and I can comfort him. How can I just leave him in there alone to self-destruct? I need to be there for him."

Caroline stared at Elena, watching her meltdown in disbelief. "Like Stefan said—Damon wants to be alone." She gritted her teeth when Elena began to cry louder in protest. "You know, at least Damon has the decency to feel bad for what he did and properly react to the monstrous level of awful he created when he snapped and put his hands around Bonnie's neck. You don't seem to be thinking about Bonnie at all. SHE'S OUR BEST FRIEND." Stefan needed to hold Caroline back to prevent the blonde from lunging at Elena. "Why don't you care? All you care about is your boyfriend. NEWS FLASH. Your boyfriend is in there completely distraught over hurting her. He cares about her. You need to take your head out of your ass, wake up, and join the rest us on planet Earth and realize that life does not revolve around just the two of you." Finally finishing her rant, Caroline let Stefan lead her away from Elena before she could do something she would regret.

Dumfounded and upset, Elena remained rooted to her spot on the floor, her own face began to contort in anger, and she soon began matching Caroline's yells, "I do care about Bonnie. Don't tell me that I don't. But, right now Damon is my first priority. Just like Stefan is yours. Right?" The comment sounded so bitter, which further contributed to Caroline's increasing temper.

"I care about a lot of people Elena. I'm just a good friend who knows how to balance her attention unlike you. I'm tired of you. Honestly."

Elena just rolled her eyes, "Whatever. I'm done wasting my time talking to you when I need to see how my boyfriend is doing."

That was all Elena needed to say to push Caroline over the edge. She tore herself from Stefan's hold, sped over to Elena, and in one seamless movement, snapped Elena's neck.

Standing over her, Caroline dusted her arms and turned to a speechless Stefan. "Finally we can get some sleep, and Damon can get some peace. We'll deal with her annoying whining in the morning." Without another glance at Elena, she stalked off to the bedroom with Stefan following her. Her patience with Elena finally ran out.

ooooooo

After a couple of hours driving, Bonnie finally relented and stopped at roadside motel to rest. With still a good 10 hours separating them from New Orleans, she felt okay taking a break to get herself together. After all, she was a mess.

Now lying face up on the bed in her rented room, Bonnie stared at the small, intricate designs etched into the ceiling of the quaint bed and breakfast she chose as their rest stop before arriving in New Orleans. Her gaze transitioned to the small alarm clock resting on the end table, and she sighed at the time-2:00am. Despite being attacked by Damon and driving for four hours straight, she didn't feel like sleeping; instead, her mind wouldn't stop racing with disturbing thoughts about her fight with Damon. A lump appeared in her throat, causing her to choke. She coughed violently as she tried to regain the ability to breathe comfortably, but the memories of Damon squeezing her throat shut triggered her body's panicked reaction to her memories. As she coughed, tears streamed down her face, and she wanted nothing more in that moment than to disappear.

A knock at her door briefly interrupted her thoughts, and she forced herself to move from her spot and open the door. Kai stood leaning against the threshold, wearing a tentative smile that didn't reach his eyes, which were unreadable, and he stayed in that position until he initiated the conversation.

He was well aware that Bonnie had been crying, but something drove him to see her despite the likely possibility that he was the last person she wanted to see. With this in mind, he started with a lighthearted statement. "There's a fairy lamp in my room. Not sure how I feel about it." He scanned Bonnie's expression closely, finally breaking out into a small smile when Bonnie offered a weak one of her own. When she didn't speak, Kai continued, "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I could ask you the same question." Bonnie backed away from the door to sit on the edge of her bed; she felt a sudden wave of exhaustion hit her.

"Alright, you caught me." Kai made a move to sit next to Bonnie on the bed, but the ferocious glare she sent his way immediately changed his mind, inciting him to settle on the floor instead. He continued without missing a beat, "I just wanted to check on you," his voiced trailed off, and he mumbled his next words, "See if you're okay."

She titled her head downwards so that she could look at him properly, "Really?" The vulnerability present in her voice unveiled Bonnie's fear about Kai's words—did he really mean them? Due to their violent history, Bonnie doubted the sincerity of his words all of the time, even if deep down she wanted them to be sincere. And she really did for some disturbing reason.

Kai leaned his head back so that he could peer directly into her eyes. "Yeah." Seeing the doubt and sadness in her eyes made him feel something really uncomfortable in the pit of his stomach, like he was in pain. He had never felt anything like it before. He frantically pushed those foreign feelings aside to don his usual taunting, sarcastic attitude. "Plus, I'm kind of excited to hear about your plans of revenge. I have done ideas of my own." He smiled at her, while Bonnie frowned.

"No revenge. I handle this my own way, and you don't get involved. Unless you want to see 1994 again."

The threat erased any remnants of Kai's good mood, and he spoke with a dangerous edge to his voice. "So you're threatening me now? I'm not the one who tried to kill you a couple of hours ago. That was your best friend Damon." He broke eye contact, refocusing his attention on the wall in front of him.

Bonnie felt a small pang of guilt when Kai's mood drastically changed for the worse, since she knew it was a direct result of her decision to take the anger consuming her on the easiest target, which was him. "I don't know who to trust anymore," she confessed. "I just don't know what I'm doing." Her voice trembled, "Damon tried to kill me tonight." Bonnie's despair dominated every part of her mind and body; it seemed like her misery never ended with one painful event after the other.

"But he didn't," Kai challenged her delicately as his own anger dissipated. "You're too strong. Your powers are too strong." He had turned to face her, still in his position on the floor, with an expectant expression. He raised his hand, waiting for her to identify his silent request for her touch.

Bonnie eyed him wearily, not being able to cover the hesitance she felt in accepting his comfort.

Kai didn't need her to say anything, since he recognized the look in her eyes. "Humor me, Bennett," Kai whispered the request, still waiting for Bonnie to place her hand in his.

Against her better judgment, she rested her hand into his waiting one.

Not knowing why he felt the impulse to hold her hand, Kai persisted with the sign of affection, allowing himself to close his eyes, concentrate on the contact, and mentally chant a spell. When he heard Bonnie gasp beside him, he allowed a satisfied smirk to grace his features at the spell's success.

Bonnie, still trembling from the surge of energy that arose between them, stared at Kai desperately trying to figure out what just occurred. "What..." She stopped unable to form a coherent thought due to the sudden blast of invigoration that affected every part of her. The weight of melancholy burdening her disappeared, which allowed Bonnie to feel like she could breathe again. It had to be magic. "What just happened, Kai?"

"It's us. Our powers merged together, and I willed your worries to disappear. It's a spell that allows you to temporarily connect to another witch but only when they possess the same level of magical strength as you." He couldn't resist grinning at Bonnie, "We're more alike than you think, Bennett."

She struggled to figure out how to respond to that disconcerting comment, so she settled on denial. "I don't think so, Parker."

Trying not to show how much her response affected him, Kai stood up, simultaneously letting go of her hand, and shrugged his shoulders at her persistence to deny their connection. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Bennett." He turned around, deciding to leave her alone for the night and get some sleep of his own, but before he departed, Bonnie's voice filled the room.

"Thank you," she expressed, faltering slightly at the expression of gratitude. It didn't make sense, but she felt bad about him leaving on potentially bad terms with her, especially since he used a spell that erased her sadness temporarily, therefore giving her break from the stifling gloom that weighed upon her heart. "For making me forget even for a minute." She cleared her throat, trying to alleviate the discomfort she felt.

"Don't want to go to sleep being mad at each other, huh? You're adorable," he winked before closing the door and laughing at the peeved expression she gave him. Even when she was angry with him, he still felt something close to elation when he was in her presence. Though he possessed the capability to hide his growing attachment to her quite well, it still gnawed at him continuously. It just wasn't in his nature to care until her.

The young warlock slept restlessly that night, like Bonnie. Little did they know, both couldn't stop thinking about one another.

**A/N: Hope everyone likes this addition. Thanks for leaving reviews and reading as always!  
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	8. Blackout

**Disclaimer: I don't own **_**The Vampire Diaries**_**.**

**A/N: Chapter title song inspiration: "Blackout" by Breathe Carolina**

The day couldn't have been more perfect-the sun shone brightly, the air was warm, and the sky was a beautiful shade of blue. It all fit the unique beauty of the city. Once, Bonnie found a hotel in New Orleans, her and Kai began to explore eagerly. Bonnie, with a huge smile on her face and Kai with look of amazement, walked around, looking like the typical overtly eager and curious tourists. But they didn't care, because it was an amazing place to be.

"Okay," Bonnie spoke up once they turned a corner and began walking down a charming cobblestone road that housed a row of small, charming shops, "I can't believe this is the first time I have been here. It's perfect!" She inspected every detail around her as if she were trying to ingrain everything into her memory with a content smile on her face.

Her good mood must have been infectious, because Kai himself was sporting a large grin of his own as he soaked up the scenic view around him. "I have to say, I feel like I must have literally died and gone to heaven—I mean I know hell would probably freeze over if I was ever technically let into heaven—but '94 must be Arendelle right now cause this place has to be heaven." He whipped his head around to look at a giggling Bonnie, "Right?!"

Covering her mouth in a weak attempt to cover her laughter, Bonnie just gave up trying to hide the sign of her good mood and allowed herself to freely be amused by Kai. "I can't believe you just mentioned _Frozen_." Her smile grew at the image of Kai entranced by one of the Disney films the two watched one night in the hotel a couple of sleepless nights ago. She rested her hand over her chest as it rose and fell rapidly with a new wave of laughter, "Who knew you of all people would be a Disney freak?" She playfully nudged him with her arm as they continued to walk side by side down the road.

"My heart isn't made of stone, you know." He stepped closer to her, "plus, let's forget _Frozen._ _The Princess and the Frog_ is where it's at 'cause we are in New Orleans and it's fucking awesome!" He skipped forward, causing Bonnie to laugh even more. The sight of Kai so carefree and excited about something so innocent like being in a new place made Bonnie feel elated for some odd reason. She liked hanging out with him like this; it's almost as if she could pretend they were two normal people...friends who hung out. No sordid, unhealthy past.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Kai's excitement wore off, leaving him donning a major pout as he stared at a door of some random business that caught his eye.

"What is this?" He muttered to himself and stepped closer to the door.

Her pace slowed down until she settled next to him to quickly scan the sign that captured his attention. **Madame Arielle's Magic Consignment Shop-CLOSED INDEFINITELY**. Bonnie frowned at the sign, quickly feeling as much disappointment as Kai at the seemingly abandoned shop. This had to be the fifth magic affiliated store that Kai and her encountered on their walk, and like all the others, it was closed for business.

Kai filled the silence, "I thought New Orleans had these rich roots in magic—why does it seem like all of it has been purged from the city?" He turned his concentration from the sign and focused on Bonnie instead. "I was actually kind of excited about becoming BFFs with some voodoo priestess and learning some cool stuff, but I have a feeling that they all ditched this place." Kai's genuine concern was apparent in his worried tone, which caused Bonnie's own nerves to heighten about the odd circumstances. She never mentioned it to Kai, but one of her main reasons for choosing New Orleans to visit was its rich ancestry in magic. In all honesty, she wanted to explore her magic on her own and learn more about the Bennett line, assuming her family had allies living in the city; however, like Kai said, the city seemed strangely void of magic.

Trying to calm herself, she tried to ease the tension by vocalizing a random thought that had suddenly bothered her. "If that's the case, let's hope they all took a long vacation, because you and voodoo is just a really bad idea." She shook her head quickly, desperately trying to dispel the chills that were running up and down her spine at the idea of Kai learning to channel that particular branch of magic. To say it would be an epic disaster would be the understatement of the century.

She missed the annoyed glance Kai gave her before shaking his own head. He didn't say anything more, choosing instead to peer into the small shop out of curiosity. As he did so, Bonnie let her mind roam to the ominous feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach. Why did she feel an almost creeping absence in her mind, like something was missing or just wrong in this city? It was incredibly bizarre and came out of nowhere. She probably could have stood in front of the shop, pondering the weird feeling all day, but the appearance of another person reflected through the dark glass panel alerted her to return back to reality and quickly react to the strange presence. Once she snapped her head around to look at the person—a threatening figure clad in black and wearing an almost threatening, hungry expression—and turned fully around to face the potential threat, Kai snapped out of his own trance to follow Bonnie's lead and join her in staring down the guy standing behind them with a careful but tense expression of his own.

Before she could figure out what to say to the stranger, Bonnie had a strange impulse to seek some reassurance that she wasn't facing this creepy figure alone, so her arm slowly slid through Kai's immobile one, effectively grasping his elbow with her hand and moving closer to him in the process. After she felt more comfortable knowing he was there next to her, she spoke up.

"Can we help you?" Her weary tone betrayed the seemingly confident stance she held in spite of her discomfort.

The man tilted his head, his eyes lingering up and down her frame, finally landing on her eyes. When he made eye contact, he smirked. Bonnie's heart spiked when she caught a quick glimpse at his sharp teeth—he was a vampire.

"I was just wondern' if ya'll were lost. That shop is no longer in business, so it's a bit pointless to keep staring through the window. No one is there." He smiled at the them, trying to pass off his disconcerting attention as innocent and friendly.

Kai didn't buy the act for a second. "Well, it's free country. If we want to look at a store window then we will. You can just run along now."

The vampire smiled even wider at Kai's response and kept up the cool demeanor. "Well, it wouldn't be fair if I let a couple of witches linger a little too long in front of a shop that had something to do with magic, considering Marcel would be very angry. So, you should thank me and welcome this warning from him and move along very quickly."

The beating of her heart quickened in its pace. _How did he know they were witches?_ Bonnie stepped forward, "Pardon?" She stared him down. "Did you just say we were witches?" Her panic level rose incredibly high, leaving her with a sick feeling of dread at the unexpected turn her vacation was taking.

The vampire chuckled with an almost bored amusement. "But that's what you are." He peered at them, "Right?"

The ability to form a coherent sentence escaped Bonnie in the moment, forcing her to turn towards Kai, desperately pleading with him to help her make sense of what is going on. But Kai refused to break his focus on the threat whom he had now recognized as a vampire. "Yup," he responded with a cheery disposition despite silently debating different spells he could use to rip the vampire apart. "That a problem, bloodsucker?"

Bonnie gritted her teeth when she recognized the flash of anger appear on the vampire's face. She squeezed Kai's arm in the feeble attempt to calm him down before deciding to step in before a fight would break out.

"Look," she almost pleaded, "We're not here to cause any trouble. We're visiting. So, you must have us confused with two other witches," she resisted rolling her eyes along with her sarcastic remark.

Marcel's lackey chuckled, "Nope. I'm pretty sure a Bennett and a Parker just stepped into Marcel's city, and obviously, you two must be unaware of the city's changes if you are so willing to walk freely around these parts without a care. It'll be best if you see Marcel to settle this. He'll be at his usual table at the _Attiki Bar and Grille_ around 9:00. Enjoy your day until then, witches." He practically spat the words out in disgust before he turned away to stalk off.

"What the fuck are you talking about? Why would we go see Marcel? Who is he?" Kai yelled after the retreating figure, his feet carried him forward to follow the guy, but the vampire had already disappeared.

"What is going on?" Bonnie wondered out loud, her hand running though her short hair nervously. She tugged on Kai's arm when she felt him dragging her forward to follow the vampire. "Kai, stop. He's gone."

Kai finally faced her, his eyes darting back and forth rapidly as he tried to process what just happened. "What the hell was that? A vampire treating us like we're criminals for walking into his city with magic—how did he even know we had powers? Or who we were?"

Bonnie didn't have answer; she settled on shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders as the only response she could give him. Kai took her silence as an opportunity to continue his rant.

"I can't believe he had the nerve to threaten _us_." He clenched his jaw, moving closer to her so that he could whisper his next words. "We can kill every single vampire in this city without straining a muscle. And if that's what we have to do then we will." He waited for her to agree with him, but of course Bonnie wouldn't humor his inner psycho even in a situation like this.

"Kai," she warned while squeezing his elbow. "Don't start. We can't do anything without finding out what's going on over here. We'll meet up with this Marcel guy and see what's his deal." Her eye contact with Kai never wavered, despite feeling chills travel up and down her spine due to the hostility emanating from his eyes. "Okay? We will figure this out, but we can't use magic, since it's obviously forbidden or whatever. But, I'm not going to be bullied into submitting to a bunch of vampires on a power trip—trust me." She couldn't help but think of Damon in that moment, but she immediately forced herself to keep him away from her thoughts, and instead, focus on the problem at hand, which is the issue of a whole bunch of strange vampires that seem to be running the city.

Suddenly, her cell phone started to ring, and she blindly searched through her purse, without looking away from Kai, to grab it. She didn't even check the screen to see who was calling. "Hello?"

"Bonnie," greeted Caroline before smiling at Stefan who sat next to her. "How are things going?"

Despite feeling nervous, Bonnie managed a small smile as she answered her best friend. "New Orleans is amazing, Care." She faltered over her next words once worry crept into her mind over their run in. "Really amazing," she continued her reassurances with a wistful, sad tone that showed the disappoint she felt over the now ruined opportunity for her to find some peace outside Mystic Falls.

Caroline immediately recognized the uncertainty in Bonnie's voice, which made her fret over the possibilities of what could be going wrong over there when Bonnie was alone with Kai. "Are you sure everything is okay?" Out of the corner of her eye, Caroline saw a previously still figure rise up and look at her with worried, expectant eyes. Stefan placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Yeah," she responded. "I'm just walking around the city." She winced as the words left her mouth, wishing desperately that it were all that simple.

Gripping the phone harder, Caroline tried to give Stefan and Damon a reassuring smile. "You didn't run into Klaus did you?" She giggled halfheartedly, making sure to avoid both Stefan and Damon's glares by looking out the window, when she mentioned the Original vampire.

Bonnie slapped her forehead with her free hand, cursing under her breath. She completely forgot that Klaus lived in New Orleans. She dragged her hand over her face until she reached her neck and traced the fading bruises there. Maybe she should try to find him to get his help. _But what if he is also a part of all of this? _The sound of Caroline calling her name refocused her attention on the conversation, "I'm sorry, Care," Bonnie hurriedly apologized, "I need to go." She searched her mind for a convincing excuse to use, "Kai just tripped and fell into a fountain. I should get him out. Bye!" She quickly ended the call, ignoring the strange look Kai was giving her, and she began to lead him down the street, quickly explaining her plan to find the bar where Marcel would be. Kai just followed her, grudgingly agreeing with her idea to confront this Marcel guy before doing anything else.

00000000

Back in Mystic Falls, Caroline sat in place with her cell phone resting against her ear long after Bonnie hung up. A large frown line adorned her usually smooth, pale forehead as she was trying to figure out why Bonnie would consider Kai falling into a fountain an emergency. "He deserves it," she mumbled to herself as she finally gave up and hung up her end of the line. She looked at Stefan, who was sporting a large frown of his own. "Kai fell into a fountain," she quipped. When the two brothers looked even more confused, she shook her head, "Forget about him. All that matters is that she seems okay." She now looked at Damon who had been closely watching her the entire time she talked to Bonnie. In fact, she made the call in his room on purpose to provide him with some solace to hold onto amidst his misery over what happened at the dinner party. "She's okay," her voice softened, "So you can relax a little now. Or try until she gets back." She noticed the fleeting look of annoyance cross Damon's face before he fell onto his back with a loud sigh.

"Are you sure?" He asked almost vulnerably as he laid one arm over his eyes.

Not being able to resist sarcasm, Caroline retorted, "I mean she's still breathing, so I'd say that she's okay." She rose from her seated position, rolling her eyes in the process.

Damon visibly stiffened at her words. "Kay. You can both get out of my room now," he replied bitterly before turning to his side and burying his face into his pillow when tears began to appear in the corner of his eyes. He was sick of Vampire Barbie mocking him for something he already felt incredibly guilty—no scratch that—something he felt excruciatingly sick over. He couldn't stop his mind from replaying that night over and over again, and every time, he felt the rush of nausea and self loathing overwhelm to the point of reacting with physical harm to himself, usually by punching the wall or banging his head against the nearest blunt object he could find. He was a complete mess. But more than anything, he just wanted to talk to her again. His friend. The friend who he tried to kill. He twisted his head further into his pillow and began to scream.

**A/N: I am so sorry about the wait! I rushed to write this chapter and upload it tonight, so I hope you all like it. Once again, a big thank you to all who are leaving reviews—I appreciate every single one!—and who reading the story. On another note, I keep hearing news about Damon and Elena regarding what's coming up in the season, so I am continuing to write this story in complete and utter frustration over a show that seems to be completely obsessed about ONE relationship. Can the writers at least give us BonKai? lol anyway…thanks for supporting my crazy ideas with this fic. Next chapter will feature Marcel….dun dun dun. haha**


	9. Blame

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries.**

**A/N: This chapter title is inspired by "Blame" by Calvin Harris feat. John Newman.**

"You're sure about this?" Kai looked at Bonnie who was walking calmly beside him, marveling at the lively atmosphere of the city at night. There were twinkling lights strewn over the buildings and impromptu jam sessions in the streets, making it pretty magical.

Running a hand over the skirt of her dark blue sundress that was covered with white daisies, Bonnie's lips perked up into a small smile. "Why? You scared? I thought you wouldn't be afraid of anything." She couldn't help but tease him when he looked so nervous; she never thought nervous and Kai could even be used in the same sentence.

Kai laughed extra loudly, "Yeah right. Dream on, Bennett. I just thought you'd be worried about me making a scene." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Duh." His fumbled with his hands as they walked, now looking everywhere but Bonnie's eyes.

"I know you won't make a scene, because that will put us both in danger…" she gently rested her hand around his forearm as she dodged a couple that began dancing in the street. Giggling at the sight, Bonnie steered him in the direction that Google maps showed her to the bar where they were to meet Marcel. "Plus, we are a team during this trip. He has some weird vendetta against magic, and that obviously concerns both of us." She shrugged one shoulder, "Let's see what's his problem and keep calm. Okay?" She purposefully turned her head upwards to look at him directly, hoping he would agree with her and try not to lose his temper. Kai was unpredictable, especially since he had his magic back and was stronger than ever.

Kai rolled his eyes, this time much more playfully, and focused his full attention her. "The things I do for you, Bennett," he stated seriously. The way he looked at her—so intensely—made Bonnie's heart skip, which incited her to quickly try to lighten the mood to save her own flailing sanity in this situation. "Well, I don't give you much of a choice, since I could totally take you. I'm stronger."

His face broke out into a huge grin. "Nah. More like we're equals."

Shaking her head, Bonnie returned his grin. "Now you're dreaming," she mocked.

Kai stopped in his tracks, pulling Bonnie closer to him. His eyes roamed her dress before resting on her lips. "I love it when you get feisty with me." He began to laugh at her; even continuing despite the extra powerful punch she gave to his gut.

Bonnie just raised her fist as a silent threat before addressing him. "Will you shut up now and focus?" She nudged her head to the building that just arrived at, "We're here."

Kai quickly quieted down, his eyes possessing the intense look he held earlier when he was observing her outfit. "How do you expect me to concentrate when you are wearing that amazing dress?" He bit his lip while simultaneously dodging another punch.

"What do you expect? I'm not going to let Marcel ruin my trip, so I changed into my going out in New Orleans outfit," she winced at how much she sounded like Caroline in this moment, "because I refuse to let his crazy get in the way of this trip. We will talk to him for like a half an hour tops and then we are going to eat dinner, since I am starving. And why am I explaining my wardrobe change to you? Let's get this over with." She turned around without another glance his way and entered the bar with Kai following her closely. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but when Bonnie suggested they head back to the hotel to get ready to explore the city after getting the Marcel thing out of the way, he was really excited. It's almost as if they were going out on a date, which he knew Bonnie would never admit to, but he could pretend, right? So, he just followed her into the bar happily with his hands in his pockets and whistling a joyful tune. A quick showdown with a vampire and Bonnie Bennett by his side made him feel extra giddy. His good mood continued to show as they maneuvered their way through the crowded restaurant/bar to the table occupied by a figure who was obviously Marcel. He was sitting at the center of the round table, wearing an illuminating smile that displayed his perfect teeth, and he watched both Kai and Bonnie very carefully as if they were his prey.

"Well, well, well," announced Marcel with raised arms in welcome. "If it isn't a Bennett and Parker who chose to visit my humble abode and risk their lives. It's so endearing," his sickly smooth voice made both Bonnie and Kai frown forlornly at him. Neither liked his condescending tone. "How did you know it was me? We've never met before, unless of course beside what I know of your infamous reputations?"

Bonnie wouldn't admit that it was his ridiculously smug grin that gave him away, so she just raised her hands in surrender and replied, "Lucky guess."

Kai piped up, "Infamous reputations?" He ignored Bonnie's pointed look and continued to direct his attention to Marcel. "So you've heard of us?" He cleared his throat, trying to hide his obvious eager curiosity at having a reputation that precedes him. It's only what he's dreamt of since he was little.

Marcel just continued to direct his bright smile towards him. "Of course. You are Malachai Parker of the Gemini Coven. You tried to kill your entire family to hoard more power for yourself, and got yourself sentenced to serious confinement, which you obviously managed to escape from." Kai titled his head as he listened to the vampire run off his credentials, and he felt pride swell in his chest. He did sound impressive. While he listened attentively to Marcel, he barely noticed the intense scowl that adorned Bonnie as she watched him.

"And you," Marcel's eyes roamed Bonnie's frame. "You are Bonnie Bennett. The famous witch who belongs to one of the most powerful covens in the country and who is a friend to vampires. Someone to be admired." He smiles at her, "I just don't get why you would be hanging out with someone who wasn't as pure and noble as you."

Bonnie didn't miss a beat responding, "Well, you must have gotten your facts from the wrong source. I am Bonnie Bennett, a member of the Bennett coven, but I was also a normal teenage girl who had a friend who got involved with vampires. I was never just a friend to them. I have my own life and powers. So, let's cut to the chase. You hate magic, and see us as a threat."

Marcel released a deep chuckle that resounded over the loud music that was playing through the speakers of the bar. "Klaus was right about you. An independent firecracker. Looks like I do have something to worry about."

Bonnie quickly shot Marcel down, "Nope. You have nothing to worry about, because I came to New Orleans as a visitor. Just wanted to see the city and get away from home for a while. I have no supernatural agenda."

"That's interesting," interjected a smooth voice into the conversation. Bonnie turned her head into its direction and let her jaw open in shock. Klaus. "Miss Bennett was always such a great help to her friends. Now all vampires, I believe?" He smirked at Bonnie and tipped his glass in her direction. "Pleasure to see you here, love." He smiled at Marcel, exchanging a firm handshake with him, and took a seat at the table.

"That's right," continued Marcel with a bright smile, "Klaus told me all about his adventures in Mystic Falls, and you came up quite a few times. Impressive to hear about such a powerful witch being on our side for once," he chuckled and the rest of the table joined him. "It's usually the other way around—witches hate our guts and plot against us." His smile weakened, "Then we have to kill them, of course. Well I do," he laughed again, prompting another round of laughter from the table—all except Klaus whose laugh seemed very weak and not sincere.

Feeling particularly bold, Bonnie couldn't resist cutting in. "Well, technically I was helping my friends who I have known my whole life—they were human at first then and turned into vampires—but I never did anything exclusively for Klaus, since he was the one threatening all of our lives." Bonnie purposefully looked at Klaus, glowering at him.

Klaus caught her look and smiled sheepishly. "Sincere apologies, love. I was a bit mad then." He smiled at her, showing his dimples. He always looked so charming despite being the epitome of evil.

Bonnie just offered him a fake smile. She turned to look at Kai, hoping to give him a signal that she wanted to get out of this conversation, but Marcel started speaking again. "And your boyfriend? He's not going to try something stupid?"

Kai rolled his eyes while Bonnie just openly gaped at Marcel. _Boyfriend? _"Um, no you misunderstand." Before Bonnie could finish, Kai cut her off.

"I have no ulterior motives, Marcel," he replied calmly. "You see, Bonnie Bennett gave me an ultimatum—accompany her on this trip so she could keep track of me or kill me—so I obviously took the first option. I kind of got in trouble with her and her friends when I tried to kill them and continue to plot to kill my siblings to get their power, so I am at her mercy. Which to be honest, I am just grateful to be in the great city with the most beautiful girl in the world. Why would I want to screw that up?"

Bonnie's eyes widened as Kai admitted the truth so nonchalantly, and more importantly, how Klaus and Marcel were eating it up.

Marcel grinned at the warlock, "Smart man, Kai." He gazed over Bonnie, "That she is."

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable with Marcel's flirtatious looks, Bonnie cleared her throat and took a step back. "Okay, so we're good. You both know the story." She caught Klaus grinning smugly at her and couldn't resist addressing him. "What Klaus?"

He shrugged. "I'm just impressed Bonnie. You have a very impressive friend over here. Cheers mate," he lifted his glass at Kai, which Kai returned by saluting him. Of course Klaus would be impressed by Kai.

"Back at you buddy," responded Kai. "I mean mercilessly hunting Elena down to get the doppelganger blood needed to create your very own species of creatures to control…just amazing."

Growing increasingly disturbed by the bonding session happening before her, Bonnie interrupted. "Okay, Kai and I were about to go have dinner." She grabbed his arm, squeezing it tightly so that he would stop fawning over the evil genius in Klaus.

"Before you go," stated Marcel as he stood up. "I usually don't do this, since I have enforced a strict policy on magic activity here in my city, but I'm going to allow you two to stay in town and experience it for yourself." He offered them a friendly smile, "Even though I have it on good authority that you two are very powerful— I will let it slide due my friend and mentor here," he pointed to Klaus who had grown very serious all of a sudden, "Who only had nice things to say about you Bonnie. But, the same rule applies to others who I have granted permission to stay—any use of magic then you're dead. Okay?" Marcel had been so benevolent in his speech that one would have guessed he was just genuinely welcoming them to the city…but no. He made it clear that any sign of magic would be a death sentence.

Unable to give him a comprehensible answer, Bonnie looked at Kai, feeling suddenly desperate. To her surprise, Klaus looked almost apologetic. She must have entered an alternative universe.

"We got it," replied Kai grudgingly. It took a lot for him to resist lashing out at Marcel with magic, but he managed to control himself. He titled his head downwards, finding Bonnie staring at him with awe; she almost seemed impressed that he didn't lose his temper. "We should go and try the food." He waved at the table of vampires, "Later!" He led Bonnie away from the crowd and up the stairs to the dining area portion of the restaurant. Bonnie, herself couldn't help but keep eye contact with Marcel for a bit longer until she couldn't stomach his sickly, sweet grin any longer, and finally joined turned forward to follow Kai. Once they reached the top of the stairs, a hostess quickly seated them.

Once they were both settled in their seats and looking at their menus, Kai broke the silence. "That was interesting, huh?" Hr glanced over the edge of his menu to look at her.

"Yeah," she replied mirthlessly. "All I wanted was a chance to get away from Mystic Falls, and I find Klaus and his protégé. Story of my life."

A waitress appeared at the side of their table, mainly looking in Kai's direction as she greeted them. "Welcome to Attiki Bar and Grille, I'm Cheryl your server for tonight. Can I get you started on some drinks?"

"A grape soda for me," answered Kai.

"And I'll just have a water with a slice of lemon, please," followed Bonnie. The waitress never looked at her as she recorded the drink order; instead, she focused solely on Kai. "I'll be back with your drinks." She flashed Kai a flirty smile before leaving. Bonnie just watched her leave and shook her head in defeat at the strange interaction. Choosing to ignore it, she returned her attention to the menu, quickly deciding on trying a bowl of extra spicy gumbo and a grilled shrimp salad. Once she decided, she closed her menu and fixed her eyes on Kai who was still exploring the menu.

"Thanks for being so cool back there," she started shyly only slightly hesitant to even pay Kai the compliment. "It's better just to spend as less time as possible dealing with him, since he obviously has serious issues with our kind."

Kai scoffed, "He is crazy. And I thought I had problems."

"You do, just different ones," she teased. She took his annoyed look as victory, prompting her to smile as the waitress arrived with the drinks. "Are we ready to order?"

Bonnie answered first, "Yes. I'll take a bowl of the gumbo—extra spicy—and a grilled shrimp salad." Bonnie folded her menu and held it out for the waitress to take. "Thank you," she finished kindly. The girl nodded her head, still refusing to look Bonnie way until she looked up from her notepad to watch Kai. "And you," she cooed.

Kai looked up from his menu and threw her a charming smile. "I'll take a bowl of gumbo as well and a steak po'boy." The girl practically giggled as she took his menu, and the image caused Bonnie to practically gag right there at the table. Of course Kai noticed her annoyance, and once the waitress had left, he addressed Bonnie. "What?"

Taking a sip of her water, Bonnie pretended not to notice anything. "Nothing. I'm just glad you found an admirer amidst a place full of enemies." She couldn't resist looking at Marcel's table, which they had a clear view of from their table on the second floor, and saw both Klaus and Marcel discussing something quietly. "I don't trust him—neither of them," she confessed.

"Obviously, I don't either, but it's not worth trying anything when it's obviously two against…a lot more than two." He took a sip from his grape soda, missing the look of shock crossing Bonnie's face.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you are sounding incredibly rational right now."

"Well, you asked me to not make a scene, right?" He lifted his glass in the air, waiting for Bonnie to join him.

Relief flooded Bonnie due to Kai's behavior. In fact, she almost felt grateful he was the one here with her. As long as he kept his cool, Bonnie could actually enjoy his company and pretend like they are just two friends on a semi normal trip. She picked up her glass, tapping it gently against his, "Right," she agreed.

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After a short wait and surprisingly normal conversation between them, the waitress returned to their table with the food. Not surprising to Bonnie, the server pointedly ignored her as she placed her food on the table, choosing instead to chat with Kai. As Bonnie ate her food, she tried to stifle the strange sensation that was forming within her when she thought about how obnoxious the waitress was acting towards her. It was obvious she was ignoring Bonnie out of jealousy, since Bonnie was with Kai, but why did the situation even bother her so much? Here she was in the amazing city of New Orleans where a vampire actually threatened her life if she used magic, and she was choosing a waitress flirting with Kai in front of her as the source of her growing anger? She definitely lost the last bit of sanity she had while in '94.

As Kai busied himself with eating his dinner—a steak po'boy with a bowl gumbo, Bonnie sent a steely glare directed his way, which Kai was completely oblivious to until he looked up from his meal to talk a sip of his grape soda. "What?"

Bonnie swore he looked smug when he asked that, which made her even more annoyed. Putting down her own fork, she crossed her arms over the table and leaned forward to ensure their conversation was private as possible. "Is that really necessary?" She bit down on the inside of her cheek when she felt the impulse to say something she might regret—like make Kai think she was jealous.

Now following Bonnie's stance, Kai leaned forward with a growing smirk on his face. "Enlighten me, Bonnie. What's necessary?"

His attitude infuriated her even more, causing her to scoff in disgust, roll her eyes, and lean backwards in her chair. "Forget it," she retorted. A piece of her hair fell forward, covering her eye, which she used as an opportunity to act distracted and focus her attention on moving it out of the way. As she did so, their waitress appeared at the table again, this time holding another glass of soda. She smiled flirtatiously at Kai as she placed the soda in front of him, letting her gaze linger a little longer than appropriate. Bonnie huffed from her seat, witnessing the interaction. When it was clear that the waitress was about to leave, Bonnie quickly picked up her glass of water to ask for a refill. "Excuse me," she tried to politely signal the server's attention, but the waitress never glanced her way; instead, she smiled at Kai once more before slipping a small piece of paper on the table and quickly spinning around to walk in the opposite direction towards a new table. Bonnie followed the waitress' steps and, much to her dismay, found herself looking at Marcel's table where both Marcel and Klaus were staring at her—Marcel with a illuminating smile on his face and Klaus with a careful, concerned expression. Both vampires raised their glasses in her direction before turning their attention to the table and engaging in a serious conversation with one another.

Kai, who had been watching Bonnie closely once the waitress left, gritted his teeth in anger when he followed her line of vision and discovered Klaus and Marcel. "I don't get it," he muttered. Bonnie refocused her attention on him.

"What?" She snapped.

"You," he responded just as angrily, "You're a witch who has a thing for vampires—crazy, sadistic, psychotic ones."

Bonnie stared at him like he just spontaneously grew a second head, "Excuse me?" What are you yammering about?" She crossed her arms over chest and glared even harder—if that was even possible—at him. Her eyes were baiting him to continue.

Kai just jammed his spoon into his gumbo, taking a large bite, and quipping, "Like you don't know."

He pouted at her before taking another bite. Bonnie would have laughed at the site of him eating his food like a sullen toddler who was just denied an ice cream sundae, but she was too distracted by her fury over what he was implying about her.

"I don't. Why don't you enlighten me, _Malachai_?"

'_She did not just use the full name'_ he thought as he slowly out his spoon down. "Are you blind? You just notice others flirting with me, but don't notice others flirting with you? Marcel practically drooled over you out earlier and Damon spent the entire time stuck in '94 trying to repress the urge to get into your pants."

"What?" She practically barked the words into his face. "For the last time, Damon does not have a thing for me—news flash he's in love with Elena and has tried to kill me on several occasions. Many of which happened way before you even knew us."

Kai just rolled his eyes at her. "Minor details," he stated boredly.

Bonnie ignored him and continued, "And Marcel hates witches to the point of freaking banning magic from this entire city by killing any witch who doesn't submit to him. I don't think he's writing my name in hearts all over his math notebook."

"Yeah, but he thinks your beautiful. He's taken with you—how could he not be?" Kai swallowed nervously, his eyes finding the tablecloth suddenly very interesting.

Bonnie had no choice but to take a second to gather her thoughts, so she just remained quiet and stared—well more like glared at Kai—and tried to figure out how exactly this conversation even ended up in this direction. "Are you jealous?" She threw her hands up in the air, "Need I remind you Kai that I only brought you on this trip to keep an eye on you so you wouldn't kill everybody—" she paused while quickly scanning nearby tables to make sure no one could hear this conversation and decide to call the police— "and kill me too, which you tried to do not all that long ago, FYI."

Slamming his hand against the table, Kai quickly interrupted her to argue right back, "You are never going to let that go, huh? Yes, I wanted to kill everybody, including you, but obviously that has changed because I'm here with you, and you are like the first person to every just want to have a normal conversation with me, and you totally didn't kill me when you wanted to, and you have powers, and you're…" He stopped his rambling to just look at her, his eyes softening.

"Kai," Bonnie couldn't help but sound a bit desperate at this point, "Will you just stop? I just wanted to have a normal vacation without any drama." She ran her hands through her hair while mumbling curses underneath her breath.

Kai smiled at her, more of a mocking gesture than a sincere one, "So you brought the warlock who tried to kill his entire family to gain all of their power and become the most powerful warlock in the history of time?" He laughed, "Yeah, you are doing a good job."

Any patience Bonnie possessed completely disappeared at this moment in the argument, so she decided to give up. "Obviously I was really wrong about you. Thought you would even be worth the time, but obviously I was wrong. Happy?"

Any signs of amusement left Kai's face, leaving him wearing an intimidating expression that almost frightened Bonnie. "Oh really? It's because you hate me so much that you cannot stand the thought of me giving my attention to another girl or can't stop living in the land of denial about us." He tapped his chin as a thought appeared, "You know, I seriously considered kidnapping Elena to use as leverage against Damon before you managed to return. Who knows? If I succeeded with my plans I could have fallen for her? It probably would have been far less annoying than liking you, since Elena seems to have blind, dumb devotion to whoever she is enamored with unlike your stubborn ass."

For the life of her, Bonnie had no idea why Kai's words felt like a knife had stabbed her in the gut and was slowly twisting around in place. He knew just what to say to play on her insecurities, but this time it didn't involve Damon or Jeremy, but him. The realization made her blood run cold and a bitter taste to invade her mouth. She had feelings for Kai.

She swallowed heavily, her hands beginning to shake with nerves. "Screw you," she countered weakly. "No scratch that," her voice gained strength, "Go to hell." She pushed her chair back, digging blindly into her purse for money to cover the bill, and throwing it on the table once she found it. She tried to move past him, but his reflexes were too quick, and he managed to grab a hold of her arm.

"I've been there; it's not all that great," he dead panned. He tightened his grip, "Why do you insist on pretending to hate me, Bonnie? I mean haven't we moved past that?"

"You want me to admit that I like you when we are in a city that's run by a witch hating vampire with a lot of influence and power who is probably plotting out our murder as we speak? Are you that delusional?"

He smirked weakly at her while retaining his grip on her. "Who said anything about 'like' as in _like like_? I meant more like we were friends. But, since you mentioned it first then I guess I'll confess too—I like you too, Bennett."

Bonnie, paralyzed in horror, shook her head. "I never said I liked you, Parker. Don't make up something that is not there. You have some nerve accusing me of being attracted to a mentally unhinged vampire that threatened our lives here. I, Bonnie Bennett, have never succumbed to that weakness of falling for one of them like Caroline and Elena have." Bonnie pretty much knew that throwing Elena and Caroline under a bus for falling in love with vampires with very sadistic streaks and histories was incredibly unfair, but it wasn't right for Kai to accuse her of something like that when the only person she ever really loved is human—a stupid teenage boy—but no more harmful than that. She also realized how out of place this conversation seemed to be. "Why are even talking about this? I thought you might be becoming a semi decent excuse for a human being, but it's obviously not true. Just let me go. I've had enough for one night."

Refusing to let her go, Kai tugged her even closer. "C'mon Bonnie! Just admit you were jealous that the waitress was openly flirting with me. Why else were you glaring at me throughout our entire dinner? Stop making me think that I'm crazy!"

"You are," she retorted automatically. "Plus, yeah I was angry at that waitress, because she was blatantly ignoring me. It's wrong and irrational to treat a customer like that." She jerked backwards. "Let me go or else."

Kai didn't listen to her, choosing instead to stare at her, but he did loosen his grip. "We can't use magic or else Marcel would come after us, remember?"

Bonnie nodded, "Yup, but who says that an old fashioned punch in the face wouldn't work?"

He couldn't resist chuckling at her threat. "It would be an honor if you punched me. Okay…" he relented when he saw her fists tighten. "I'll let you go, but that's it? I'm sorry I said that you had a thing for vampires. Marcel and Klaus can't stop looking at you, so…." He realized mid-sentence that he was quickly revealing his own jealousy, so he quickly changed topics. "Where are you going to go?" He asked this question more quietly as his hands released her completely.

Bonnie almost felt bad for him, but she quickly shook any feeling of empathy away. "I'm going for a walk. I'll just see you tomorrow morning at breakfast." Not sparing him a glance, she rushed out of the restaurant and into the still crowded streets to wander off on her own. Her mind occupied by a million different thoughts.

**A/N: I hope you all like this addition! Thank you all to those who left reviews and who are supporting this story by reading. I really appreciate it! Until next time! :)  
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	10. Just Tonight

**Disclaimer: Don't own The Vampire Diaries. If I did then Caroline and Tyler would've never broken up. I liked them! Random, but I am still not over that lol**

**A/N: Chapter title inspired by the song "Just Tonight" by The Pretty Reckless.**

The heels of Bonnie's brown combat boots clattered against the cobblestone streets as she hurried, trying to create as much distance as possible from herself and the restaurant she had just left. Her impulsive decision to bail stemmed from her frustration with Kai and the bizarre situation she stumbled into with Marcel, basically a Klaus 2.0, in a city she picked as her sanctuary from an already messed up situation back home. She took this trip to New Orleans to find some semblance of life after feeling dead…no pun intended…for months, far beyond the many times she has actually physically died. So, why did she find herself wandering the streets of such a beautiful, lively city when she felt so lost and almost hopeless at this point? She already knew from the moment she stepped foot back into Mystic Falls after being stuck on the Other Side that her spirit would never be the same. She couldn't shake the hurt, abandoned, and just plain shaken feeling that ingrained itself within her once she realized that her powers…her identity as the Bennett witch…erased everything about her. Her humanity. Her life. Her dreams. She didn't want to be sick over the fact that her newly acquired close bond with Damon currently struggled in the balance due to him trying to kill her for the third time, nor did she want to feel strained over the burgeoning feelings that were arising for someone she is supposed to loathe. Both people hurt her in many ways, but the most popular avenue both adopted to hurt her involved her powers as a witch—the one aspect about her that has just overshadowed every other aspect about her identity that matters more to her. The self worth of Bonnie Bennett is inexplicably tied to her powers due to her sole purpose (within the last few years at least) as being the martyr witch friend who has the capability to protect every single person whom her friends—namely Elena, Caroline, and Matt—love. How can she separate herself from something like that? _It would make me selfish. The one thing that I never want to be. _Despite feelings a sharp chill race down her spine at the thought, Bonnie felt inclined to dwell on what selfish even means to her anymore.

Here she was feeling guilty for enjoying her time with Kai, even though he completely ruined it by oddly accusing her of fawning over…not just vampires…but murderous ones…and throwing it out there that Elena would be easier to like. Bonnie has dedicated the past three years of her life, sacrificing herself for Elena and her safety and happiness, but, Elena never showed the same care back, and everyone around her seemed to also focus on Elena more than anything. _So that's why I'm upset. Even Kai uses Elena as a weapon to remind me that I'm not good enough on my own._

Once she reached an empty alleyway, she halted her movements and surrendered to her poor tired legs that were screaming at her to stop. Bonnie leaned against the wall defeated, teary eyed, and completely exhausted. Tears gathered in her eyes and she surrendered to the overwhelming negative feelings that assaulted her mind. Stomping her foot onto the ground and releasing a frustrated groan, Bonnie finally decided it was time to stop feelings sorry for herself and most of all constantly return to Elena as a source for her own pity party. "I stand by all of my decisions to help my friends when they needed me, even though over the years it has become clear that they all consider me as the friend who can give them something and not just a friend they love and want in their lives for no reason other than her company." Bonnie heaved a deep sigh, while her eyes quickly scanned her surroundings for any passersby. If she was going to start talking to herself, she wanted to make sure there wasn't an audience. One of her hands shakily searched her chest for the locket her Grams had given her for her thirteenth birthday, the one which held a picture of her and Grams on one side and another picture of her father, mother, and her—their only group family photo in existence—on the other side. Tilting her head upwards, Bonnie gazed at the stars and began to mumble a prayer. "Please," she started hesitantly, as if the words would break her, "Help me move on from all of this and finally live the life I always wanted." She closed her eyes, "Go back to school, study Biology and Psychology, become a social worker maybe, have pets, a family…a normal life. I'll try it anywhere, even back home in Virginia, hopefully with some of my friends still around me, but please help me try, because I don't think that I can be Bonnie the witch who has to fight evil all of the time on behalf of her friends or even on the behalf of strangers like I am now. I just want a normal life."

Her mind had exhaustively run over all of the insecurities and frustrations she has been feeling on repeat for the longest time, and the process itself created some serious cracks in her heart. Nonetheless, she sadly accepted defeat as she stood in the alleyway. However, by praying to a higher power that her Grams used to preach about when she lived, Bonnie finally made a decision to move forward with her sadness from everything that has happened over the last couple of years, including her time in 1994, and strive towards something beyond bitterness. This realization instilled a small sense of relief in her, but as she leaned against the wall of another one of the abandoned magic shops with a frail renewed sense of hope, a man who had been prowling around the area, approached her with a leering gaze.

"Where you off too, sweetheart?" He sneered whilst his eyes raked up and down her body, which gave Bonnie the sensation of sharp, jagged chills piercing her body at the unwelcome attention.

The strange voice woke Bonnie, alerting her senses and giving her the sensation of sharp, jagged chills piercing her body at the unwelcome attention. She inspected the creep, finding herself not surprised to find he looked like some college frat boy who thought he could get lucky with anyone. Bonnie refused to even give him her attention, starting to walk briskly away from him. Of course, he wouldn't let her.

"Hey," he called out to her, jogging quickly to reach her and grab her arm. "I'm talking to you."

Bonnie rolled her eyes, desperately trying to hide her fear. She instantly became ticked off at the misogynistic frame of mind that convinces a guy to think a girl owes him her attention. "I know," she retorted while ripping her arm away from his grasp. "Get away from me." She turned again, but was unable to move forward when he wrapped an arm around her waist and pushed her against the wall. Now was the time to panic.

"You're not going anywhere." He ran his hand down the side of her face, finally inciting Bonnie's defensive instincts to kick in and try to think of a spell to use as protection; this reflex, however, provoked a prickly, throbbing pain to occur in her already rapidly beating heart. Marcel's warning—_use magic and face the possibility of death_—rambled continuously through her mind like a broken record. Some part of her conscience screamed at her to resist using magic, not only her own sake, but for Kai's safety as well. Then again, the intruder's face inched closer to hers, his body moved closer, and his grip strengthened, which all left Bonnie panicking even more for her own safety. _Oh my God. He's going to rape me. If I don't use my powers, how can I get out of this?_ Forgetting her desire to remain composed in the face of her attacker, Bonnie began to scream and violently thrash her body around to get away from the threat. _Forget Marcel and his stupid rules_. When the attacker persisted in invading her personal space by grabbing one of her thighs and dragging his hand up to hike up her skirt, she immediately started internally chanting a spell that would send him flying across the street…if only she was able to finish it.

"What's going on here?" The words cut through the desperate cries of Bonnie, interrupting her spell, and causing both Bonnie and the attacker to cease in their struggle to hear the visitor. Taking a chance and opening her eyes, Bonnie couldn't resist the small mix between a sob and sigh of relief that left her mouth at the sight of Kai.

Kai stepped closer, refusing to look at Bonnie in favor of staring down the guy he was about to kill, " I know that I don't need to go to an eye doctor, because I have 20/20 vision, so the only conclusion that I can arrive at is that you have your fucking filthy hands on my girlfriend." He smiled, showing all of his teeth, and tilted his head sideways in a mocking manner. "Do I have that right?"

Not being able to resist showing her confusion at his angry boyfriend act, she frowned but quickly decided to play along. By the look in his eyes, Kai would need Bonnie to restrain him from doing anything damaging, so she needed to dedicate her full attention to the situation unfolding instead of letting her assaulter know Kai really wasn't her boyfriend.

"Kai," she pleaded, "It's okay," she faltered over her words, not meaning any of them. Of course, the situation wasn't okay, and she wasn't okay—her whole body couldn't stop convulsing due to her fear, but she needed to try to salvage her courage in the face of the disgusting guy who still had her trapped. Making eye contact with stranger and mustering the most menacing tone she could manage, Bonnie addressed him, "Get away from me and go while you still have the ability to walk."

Eying Kai wearily, the guy took the hint when he thought he was hitting on someone's girlfriend and began to back away from Bonnie, now turning to face Kai. "It's not my fault that you're stupid enough to abandon your hot girlfriend. I couldn't resist," he taunted with a smirk.

His words made Kai snap and surge forward to grab the guy's neck and slam him against the wall. "How do you feel about not being able to resist now?" He gripped his neck and slammed him against the wall again, this time much harder. "You don't want to mess with me." His furious expression was suddenly replaced by a gleeful one, like he was excited about the prospect of ending this loser. He fully intended to, but Bonnie's hand on his bicep interrupted him.

"Malachai." She eyed him testily, silently pleading with him to stop.

He looked at her, temporarily stunned by her ability to purge the evil he had always associated with his full name through simply utilizing a softer tone when speaking it out loud and accompanying it with a look void of any malice. Of all the people, Bonnie Bennett somehow managed to erase any resentment he had against the name his whole life. Once again, the foreign feeling of affection surged within his heart, leaving him incredibly conflicted. "He tried to hurt you," Kai blurted out the statement in a strange attempt to justify his actions to Bonnie as if he needed her approval first.

"I know," she tightened her grip on his arm, "but killing him wouldn't fix this. Let him go and prove to me that you changed." The thinly veiled ultimatum shocked both of them; they were in the middle of dealing with Bonnie almost being raped, and they were using the circumstance as an opportunity to test the trust between them.

"It would make me feel better," he remarked nonchalantly and squeezed the guy's neck more to cut off his air supply. The guy just watched them, fearing for his life.

Bonnie's voice trembled when she noticed the guy's eyes dimming. She didn't want Kai to murder to someone. Somehow, it would ruin everything. She didn't want the small but rapidly growing sense of affection for him to be ruined in any way. "But it would make me feel horrible," she entreated, almost timidly.

Kai stared at her, inwardly calculating the pros and cons of just killing this guy right now. But, the desperate look Bonnie gave him possessed enough power to convince him to control his urge to kill, despite wanting nothing more than to watch the random guy suffer, and ultimately let him go. As soon as Kai pried his own fingers grip away from the guy's neck, his eyes settled on Bonnie who looked right back at him with relief and gratitude.

Despite the wheezing cough and heavy breaths coming from the attacker now doubled over on the ground, Bonnie quickly threw herself in Kai's arms, wrapping her them around his neck and resting her forehead against his shoulder. Her heart was bursting due to the fact that Kai had just resisted killing someone per her request. His actions surpassed any pre-existing doubts she had against him, making her extremely proud of him, and for that, she needed to show him with the biggest hug she could pull off.

For his part, Kai eagerly returned Bonnie's hug, his eyes trailing down to look at the guy who finally regained enough of his breath back to run away from the scene.

"You better run!" Screamed Kai, refusing to switch his focus from the retreating figure until Bonnie's desperate clinging pushed him to settle his gaze on her, and he reciprocated her strong hug with one of his own. "Are you okay?" The question sounded completely stupid amidst the circumstances, but he still wanted to know the answer, as if her verbal reassurance would help erase the vile image of the creep's hands all over her.

Releasing a shaky breath, Bonnie let herself relax in his arms, thereby welcoming the safety she felt after such a traumatic experience. "Now…I am." Her lips twitched slightly into a small smile when she felt his fingers stroke her hair gently. "I don't why or how, but thank you for finding me." Her voice cracked when more tears filled her eyes. "I was going to use magic, but I almost didn't since Marcel…"

Kai exhaled forcefully, "Screw Marcel. If I didn't show up you would've used magic and gotten away with it. Nothing would happen to you. You wouldn't let it happen. You're Bonnie Bennett. Nothing can happen to you…" At this point, Kai mumbled the words to himself at an almost desperate, hysterical pace. To Bonnie, he sounded scared, like the prospect of Bonnie being hurt or taken advantage of hurt too much to consider.

Sensing his anxiety caused Bonnie's own yearning to show him her appreciation for his care—something she didn't even know he truly had the capability of a couple of weeks ago—so she tightened her hold on him and swallowed her pride to say her next words. "I'm happy you're here with me." She really meant it, too. It scared her. "Let's get out of here," she said while pulling away. Kai didn't let her get too far, gently throwing an arm around her shoulders to lead her out of the alleyway and back to more crowded streets.

The pair walked in silence amidst the still bustling, energetic crowds that occupied the city; however, this time Bonnie seemed to be walking just a little bit closer to Kai than she had previously at the start of the evening. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, signaling the arrival of text message, but she never checked it that night.

_Please tell me you're okay. Just okay. All I need—Damon._

**A/N: Alright everyone! I wrote this really quickly as a gift for you, because the blizzard might keep me away from the computer for a bit, and I just had to try to update before anything crazy happened due to this monster storm :0 Hope everyone stays safe and to those of you who live in warmer, milder climates—you are so lucky! Hope everyone enjoys this chapter and till next time! Again, thank you to all who left reviews, favorited/followed the story, and who are just plain reading! Thanks a bunch!**


	11. Avalanche

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD. Just having some fun.**

**A/N: Musical Inspiration: "Avalanche" by Nick Jonas feat. Demi Lovato. Awesome song you all must check out!**

After a fairly long stroll through the city, Kai and Bonnie arrived at the hotel, both ready to sleep due to the pure exhaustion they felt from the really hectic, emotionally draining day. As Kai walked her to her door, a surprisingly sweet gesture that inspired Bonnie lean against him further and rest her head on his shoulder, Kai began to break the comfortable silence that existed between them during the whole length of the their walk back to the hotel. "So Bennett, I've been thinking." He squeezed her shoulders, not consciously realizing that he kept pulling her closer to him throughout their walk back as a way to remind him that she was okay. "Tomorrow should be a re-do. Let's forget about Marcel and Klaus and just go out and have fun. We can go on that tour of the bayou and then dinner later." He rambled his ideas eagerly despite his effort to sound cool and collected.

"That sounds like fun," Bonnie answered, relieved that Kai was willing to help salvage this trip. "I want to enjoy my time here. We can get more beignets from that café, too." She smiled when Kai pumped his fist in the air with an enthusiastic exclamation of "yes!" Both he and Bonnie fell in love with the incredibly amazing New Orleans dessert delicacy once they dropped by a café earlier in the day and tried it for the first time, and both agreed that they needed to go back and get more. The pair finally arrived at the door, causing Bonnie to lift her head from his shoulder, and search her dress pocket for her key. Once she had it nestled in her hand, she turned to look at Kai. "Thank you," she began nervously, "I don't know what I would have done if you didn't…" She stopped, unsure of even trying to finish the sentence. She settled for a gesture of gratitude instead of struggling to find the words, which she did right way by standing on the tips of her toes, hesitatingly placing her hand against his shoulder, and leaving a quick kiss on his cheek. Her eyes skimmed the floor of the hotel before meeting his once again. "So, I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast?"

Stunned by the action, Kai just stood there with a small, genuine smile appearing on his face. "Yeah," he acquiesced, "Night Bon Bon." He smiled at her again, turning around to walk down the hall to his own room. When he left, Bonnie could finally exhale heavily and bite her lip. She quickly unlocked her door, stepping inside without turning the light on. She remained leaning against the door in the darkness for a long while just contemplating everything that happened that night, especially her newfound appreciation of Kai's company. It's like he snuck up on her quietly—first considering him an annoyance but then slowly growing to appreciate him. The small sound of a buzzing cell phone pulled her away from her thoughts, making her search through her dress pocket once again and pull out the phone. As her free hand began to search for the light switch, her eyes fell on two messages. The first was a message from Damon—a sight that made Bonnie's stomach lurch—and the second one was from Caroline.

_Hope everything is okay! Send me a quick text so that I don't need to go over there and kick Kai's ass. Xx –Caroline._

The text caused Bonnie to smile, and she clicked on it to open the chat screen to type out a quick response_. I'm okay. I promise. Just going to sight see tomorrow. I'll try to find you something pretty. Xx –Bonnie. _Once she hit send, Caroline's reply arrived immediately.

_Oooh gifts! Yay. Well keep me updated on your trip and I'll see you when you back. –Caroline_

Bonnie typed a quick goodbye before throwing her cell phone on the bed to start getting ready for bed. As she completed her bedtime routine, including fluffing her pillows and settling Ms. Cuddles next to her on the bed, she couldn't stop the nagging, persistent part of her brain that kept forcing her to think about Damon's effort in contacting her. Even as she settled under the covers with Ms. Cuddles nestled underneath her arm, she couldn't stop looking at her cell phone. Finally giving up, Bonnie grabbed her cell phone and stared at the glare of the screen highlighting his text until she finally gave in and typed a quick response to him.

_I'm okay—Bonnie._

Quickly releasing the phone as if it burned her, Bonnie tossed and turned under the covers trying to find a comfortable position, which she never managed to find, when her phone buzzed once again. Her heart began to beat furiously, and with sweaty palms, she picked the phone up again to look at the message.

_I know I have no right to ask, but could you elaborate on that okay? –Damon_

Bonnie rolled her eyes and scoffed when she read the message. The strongest urge to confront Damon about everything drove her to boldly search through her contacts and find his number. With shaky hands holding the phone to her ear, she listened to the resounding ringing on the other end of the line until it ceased and she spoke into the phone. "You don't have a right," she snapped her response to the text.

"Bonnie…" Damon croaked over the phone. The sound of his obvious distress caused Bonnie's gut to lurch agonizingly, instilling a deep sense of guilt and sadness at the sound of him so miserable within her.

"What?" She tried to sound cold, but her concern for him overshadowed any front she tried to put up, making her sound almost desperate herself.

Damon's labored breathing filled the silence before he started talking again. "It's hard for me—frankly impossible—to willingly admit when I am wrong and sorry. You of all people know that, but I am so completely sorry Bonnie. I don't…I don't know what came over me. I just acted on my rage regarding the situation, and I hurt you." His voice cracked, "I never wanted to hurt you like that, please. I mean I know I clearly tried to seriously hurt you, but it wasn't a strong intention of mine. I couldn't control myself. Please," he implored one more time.

Tears trickled down her face as she hugged Ms. Cuddles closer. "You strangled me, Damon. Why was your first instinct to try and kill me when I said I was going a trip and taking Kai with me? I thought we moved beyond so much violence. That we were friends…" she slapped a hand over her mouth before a loud sob escaped. She hadn't had time to really contemplate how hurt she felt over what the attack meant for their friendship.

She could hear a frustrated sigh from the other end of the line. "We are," he corrected, "Damn it Bonnie, we are!" His voice rose as he became more desperate and angry by Bonnie's emotional withdrawal from him. "We've gone through this before..."

"You mean trying to get over you killing me? I'm tired of this Damon. I thought we finally made a lot of progress in '94. Real progress—a genuine, healthy friendship with no desire or attempts to physically harm one another! Before we went to the Other Side, we didn't have that, but now I feel like we are back to square one." More tears trickled down her face. _I don't want to be back there._

"So what? You willingly taking the sadistic guy who tried to kill both of us on a road trip is payback for my one monumental mistake, which I am trying to apologize for?"

"No," Bonnie quickly rejected his attempts at bringing Kai into the issue. "Kai has nothing to do with this. You tried to kill me, Damon. You know that is not something I forgive easily. You always do this—act as if there aren't serious repercussions to your actions. It's like you haven't changed at all." She could hear the faint sound of glass shattering over the phone.

Heaving violently, Damon rubbed his face while he blindly sought the support of the small sofa in his room and sat down, all the while completely disregarding the broken glass on the floor. He winced at her bitter reminder, "How could I forget," he retorted, "You've never really forgiven me for attacking you over the destroyed necklace." The grudge she held after he tried to rip her throat when she destroyed the Bennett talisman while under Emily Bennett's possession persisted for so long despite his best efforts at apologizing for it. Even after relentlessly pursuing her for forgiveness, Bonnie never budged in her conviction to resent him. Damon didn't even know why he cared so much back then in getting her forgiveness, especially since all he wanted was to get Katherine back. Still, Bonnie intrigued him. _She's a better person than you. You wanted her approval. _He hurriedly brushed the thought aside.

Shocked by Damon bringing that incident up, Bonnie tried to deny his accusation. "I did forgive you. If I didn't I wouldn't have helped you the one million times you needed something while we both worked towards Elena's safety. But, I thought that for some crazy reason we finally became real friends. Now I'm not so sure."

Her words incited fury with him, "You're doubting our friendship when you are hanging out with the spawn of Satan himself?"

"Don't talk about him like that," she scolded without even realizing it. "I told you this doesn't involve him. I don't have three years of history with him like I do with you. I didn't recently consider him one of my best friends like I do with you." She pulled her hair, feeling increasing hysterical. "Don't you get it Damon," she was frantic. "I trusted you. You were the only person who tried really hard to get me back—how am I supposed to feel when that same person is so willing to kill me, too? I can tell you that it sucks." Unable to hold it in any longer, Bonnie began to weep openly into the phone. The crying had to be a culmination of the traumatic experience of being threatened by Marcel and actually physically attacked by a stranger, which Bonnie still had not processed yet. As Bonnie cried, she heard his strenuous breathing on the other end of the line.

"I don't know what you want from me, Bennett. You need me to openly admit my feelings? Because I suck at that, but here goes—I care so much. You are my best friend. You piss me off and call me out on my bullshit, and I need that or else I'm so hopelessly fucking lost. I won't apologize for being mad that you went with Kai, because I fucking hate him. But, you…" He gulped, suddenly very shy after he admitted all of that to her, so he switched the subject, " I snapped and lost my temper. I don't have any other excuse other than that."

"It is what it is then," she announced sadly. "No use in replaying that night or any other fight we've had."

Damon clutched the phone, his own demeanor mirroring Bonnie's melancholic one. "Will you just come back to Mystic Falls? You've proved your point."

"I'm not finished here yet. I needed a break from Mystic Falls to think."

"What do you have to think about? You belong with your friends and not with that waste of space."

His dismissal of Kai angered her, driving her to defend him. "He isn't a waste of space. He's my friend."

Damon's eyes widened, "That right?" His voice held an unspoken threat in it, which Bonnie detected right away.

"Yeah. I owe him." She exhaled shakily when a sick, crawling sensation hit her. The sensation of the attacker's rough grip still hadn't left her. "Look, all you need to know is that I trust him."

"Fuck that," he protested while getting up to pace the floor.

"Excuse me?" Bonnie lifted her eyes to the ceiling, starting to trace the patterns.

"You heard me, Bennett. I'm not going to sit here and listen to you ramble on about your new friendship with Kai. It's bullshit, and I now realize that you are just as stupidly naïve as I always thought you were," he spat the words in disgust. "It's such a waste."

A fresh batch of tears appeared in her eyes. Damon was so good at dismissing her—he called her useless so many times that Bonnie shouldn't even bother to care at this point, but he was supposed to be her friend. It did hurt her more than she would ever admit.

"That's me. Always trying to see the good in people and getting screwed over. Look where it got me with you."

Damon bit his lip, "Right. Because I'm hopeless and should just give up trying to be anything to you. It's obvious how you really feel about me." He paused his pacing to hit the wall in front of him, leaving a huge hole. "Why don't you use Kai as your replacement BFF? I'm over it. I've just been wasting my time with you when I should be enjoying my time with my girlfriend and not her annoying best friend."

His words tore her heart apart. After everything he said—admitting she was his best friend and that he cared—he was willing to abandon her and renounce their friendship as if it meant absolutely nothing? He confused the hell out of her. Finally surrendering to all of the incessant fighting, she gave up trying to talk to him. She felt pain as panic seized her, and she dropped the phone after releasing a frustrated cry. Running into the bathroom, Bonnie anxiously moved around the room like a trapped bird in a cage, desperately fluttering around for an escape. She finally settled on dropping to the floor and banging her head against the wall purposefully before dropping it on the cold tile completely. She completely lost it.

Damon listened to the muffled sounds of commotion on the other end of the line with a slowly building sense of terror in his undead heart. "Bonnie!" His voice cracked and his grip on the phone tightened. It wasn't until a voice filled the other end of the line that he woke up from his panic induced trance.

"Why don't you do Bonnie a favor and stop with the fucking dramatics. Go back to Elena and leave Bonnie alone. You are a waste of her time." Kai spoke quietly into the phone while maintaining his composure, even though he was shaking with fury. He felt a weird sensation in his gut that something was wrong with Bonnie, and when he managed to burst into her room, he discovered that his bad feeling was legitimate when he found her practically passed out on the bathroom floor. Hearing Damon's voice calling Bonnie over and over again helped him put the pieces together and grab Bonnie's cell phone to finish the call.

"What the hell are you doing in Bonnie's room?" Damon growled into the phone just in time for Caroline and Stefan to barge into his own room when they heard Damon's shouting.

"What is it?" asked Caroline frantically. "Is Bonnie okay?" She moved forward to grab the phone from Damon, but he refused to let her near him. Trying to suppress the urge to scream at him, Caroline stood in her place and watched Damon anxiously.

"I'm helping her," Kai retorted. "I'm not the one who made her crumble onto the bathroom floor in tears. It's getting too _Dawson's Creek_ up in here with you two. Just leave her alone. Got it?"

"What's it to you? You suddenly care for Bonnie now? You're now a recovering psycho? Bull," he lowered his voice. "I know that you are trying to play games to get to all of us. It won't work."

"You don't know anything. I could care less about you or your useless group of friends. You all are insects at the bottom of my shoe. Bonnie is the only one who is worth my time."

Damon shouted into the phone, while dodging Caroline's attempts at grabbing the phone once again. "Worth your time to use her! I swear if you do anything to her..."

Kai laughed bitterly. "You succeeded in hurting her Damon, so if I were you I wouldn't be threatening anyone over her safety. I'm the one here with her, not you." He glanced at her still form, lying on the ground. "I need to go and check on her. Congratulations on completely ruining your relationship with her. Lucky me." Kai only heard muffled screaming at the other end of the line before he hung up the phone. After throwing the phone on the bed, he rushed towards the bathroom, and once he reached Bonnie, he kneeled down to hover over her. Very carefully, he reached over to touch her shoulder. The contact revived Bonnie, prompting her to whimper.

Kai responded by grabbing her shoulders gently to prop her head on his lap. He saw the bruises on her forehead and traced them gently with his index finger. Mumbling a spell, Bonnie's bruises began to heal and the sharp, pounding pain assaulting her head faded away.

"Thank you," she muttered.

Kai kept tracing her forehead with his hand, "What happened?"

Bonnie scoffed, suddenly incredibly embarrassed that Kai even found her in this position. "Same old. Just Damon and I fighting." She tried lifting her head, but the wave of exhaustion caused her to give up and remain in Kai's hold.

"Nothing new," he added sarcastically. His eyes wandered all over her face until he landed on her eyes, which exhibited so much sadness through its watery, dim condition. The spark her eyes usually held was missing, leaving him feeling disheartened. "You're better than him," he spoke with conviction, "All of them, including me. Don't waste your tears for people who mean nothing. It's what I learned after being rejected by my parents. You can't depend on anyone." His mouth twitched downwards, a grimace taking over his features.

"It's so lonely though," she lamented softly as she titled her head to get a better view of his eyes.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But having powers help." He lifted his hand to summon Ms. Cuddles, depositing her into Bonnie's arms and breaking into a small smile when Bonnie enveloped the stuffed animal in her arms. Once she finished the hug, she loosened her grip on Ms. Cuddles and lifted her up towards Kai, placing the bear against his cheek quickly. The action caused a rare occurrence—the appearance of a genuine smile on Kai's face, showcasing his dimples. Bonnie joined him in smiling before cautiously sitting up.

"How did you know I was upset…I wasn't really loud was I?" She flinched at the idea of the other guests at the small hotel hearing her mini meltdown. His response—a simple shrug of his shoulders and a headshake—brought her relief.

"I felt something…I think our powers are still retaining the connection I made a couple of days ago when I placed a that spell to make your feel better. It can be pretty powerful, but it'll ward off soon."

Directing her focus on her fumbling hands, Bonnie internally debated with herself on whether or not she should open up to Kai about her true feelings about using magic with each other. "It's been nice to be able to connect with another witch. I haven't really had the opportunity in a long time." She eyed him wearily, "But don't get used to it."

Kai scooted closer to her, removing a piece of hair that had fallen over her eye and tucking it behind her ear. "Why not? Embrace it Bonnie. Magic gives us power—no more feeling insignificant or powerless. You need to ditch all of the vampires and hang with the cool kids." He opened his arms as a wide, cheesy grin adorned his face, "Us."

Bonnie snorted but allowed herself to smile softly at him. "Soon, I won't really have a choice. I think I lost a friend today," she lamented. Kai surprised her by grabbing her chin and stroking it affectionately before muttering a simple, "I'm sorry." He searched her eyes for a moment before speaking again. "Damon is a tool. I don't even know how someone as awesome as you gives him the time of day. Or me for that matter." He smirked weakly before any trace of amusement disappeared from his eyes.

Feeling an overwhelming sense of empathy for him, Bonnie disposed Ms. Cuddles onto his lap and gently placed her hand on his chest. "I don't know either," she confessed shakily, "But I do know that I'm really grateful that I'm not alone." She gulped heavily as she removed her hand from his chest and settled it on her lap. "My friendships are all complicated and messy at this point, so I'm finally saying 'what the hell' and letting myself consider you a friend. Crazier things have happened, anyway." A stray tear fell down her face, "But I'm just letting you know now…" she hesitated before exposing her soul to a person she wasn't even sure she could trust, "You betray my trust and it's over, Kai. I can't be on your side or defend you."

Kai sat perfectly still, trying to process Bonnie's words. He felt numb at this point, since he had no idea what it was like to truly form a bond or any true connection with another person that was reciprocated. The closest one he had was with his twin sister, but his bitterness, isolation, and rejection from the family strained that relationship. But Bonnie was someone completely new—she had no obligation to care, especially since he used her to escape his punishment and return to finish what he started. Despite it all, she willingly extended an offer of friendship. He didn't deserve it. He scooted backwards to settle against the bathroom wall with Ms. Cuddles still in his hands, and stared down at his lap for the longest time. When Bonnie decided to copy his actions and lean against the wall next to him, he ended the silence. "I don't think I can promise you that I'll be different. I just have so much anger inside of me, I sometimes feel like causing chaos is the only thing that will make me feel something other than empty." He handed Ms. Cuddles back to Bonnie.

His confession didn't surprise her in the least, but she couldn't ignore the faint feeling of disappointment at herself for growing to care for people so easily. Still, she couldn't eradicate the longing within her to save him. In many ways, he was as lonely and lost as her. "We'll have to work on that," she whispered while gently prodding his shoulder with her own. The contact consoled him, helping him find the incentive to lift his head and meet her eyes. His heart, in its own volition, began to thump forcefully as he looked into her forest green eyes. The moment was too sappy for his taste, but he couldn't help but be entranced by the beautiful witch that was directing her kind gaze at him, and he allowed himself to succumb to the weird fluttery sensation in his stomach—something he has never felt before.

"I'll try," he mumbled so faintly that Bonnie almost missed it.

She nodded her head, satisfied with his answer for now, and felt herself growing more nervous as she returned his gaze, which was so intense that she felt a swarm of butterflies fill her stomach. If either of them leaned forward, their lips would meet and Bonnie's world would turn upside down. _What are you doing?_ Her mind screamed at her. _This is Kai. Don't forget who he is. Friendship is one thing but a relationship? No. _Immediately turning away and breaking eye contact, Bonnie ran her fingers through her short hair while she scrambled to her feet. "It's pretty late," she announced. "We should get some sleep if we are going sightseeing tomorrow." She stood, awkwardly trying to erase the anxiety she felt by wrapping her arms around her waist and watching Kai get up. Before he could say anything, Bonnie walked into the room, heading straight towards the door and opening it for him. When she turned around, a squeak escaped her lips at their close proximity. Kai just smirked holding Ms. Cuddles.

"You can't forget her," he teased. He stepped forward, trapping Bonnie against the wall. Despite Bonnie's discomfort, he bent down to place a gentle kiss against her forehead, which Bonnie eventually settled into, and pulled away. Bonnie felt disappointment at the loss of contact.

"Thanks," she said while meeting his eyes.

Kai nodded his head, acknowledging her appreciation, but said no more. His own mind was racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions that left him feeling completely disoriented.

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Back at Mystic Falls, Caroline, Stefan, and Damon still remained in Damon's room once the phone call ended, and the tension in the room only grew in force as the clock ticked by.

Unable to be still, Damon resumed his erratic pacing under the watchful gaze of Caroline and Stefan.

Caroline, visibly upset and worried about Bonnie, couldn't resist hollering at Damon. "What happened? I just texted her like an hour ago and she seemed fine! But you get on the phone with her, and all hell breaks loose? What's your problem?"

Damon's head snapped forward, his eyes blazing. "My problem? She is the one cozying up to that psycho. I'm the one who is wrong here."

Huffing impatiently, Caroline sent a glare at him as he continued to release her frustrations on him. "Bonnie knows what she's doing. If she trusts him then who are we to question it? You don't have to put her down. Try being a real friend and talking to her. I thought you cared about her."

"I DO CARE!" Damon roared. He tugged his hair while groaning.

"You have such a bad way of showing it," she responded. Caroline looked back at Stefan, silently pleading with him to join the conversation and salvage her sanity.

"You need to try harder to be different Damon," Stefan spoke calmly, trying to placate his brother. He didn't feel the need to raise his own voice, since he knew Damon was already suffering enough with his guilt. "Don't do this to her. You'll only push her away, and you will regret it. I know how much she means to you." He tried to reason with him, "Let's wait until she gets back and hear from her about Kai. Maybe there's more to the story."

Damon could only gape at his brother. "Are you kidding right now Stefan? He's crazy. You weren't there in '94 with him. He's dangerous."

"What about you?" Caroline interrupted, impatience dominating her tone. "You've done horrific things all of your life plus plenty to all of us. We all gave you another chance, right? What's so different about this?"

Damon stared at the blonde incredulously, not believing his ears. They both lost all sense. "Why do I expect you to understand, anyway? You slept with the enemy," he retorted venomously. "You know what it's like to date deranged sociopaths."

Her face flushed in embarrassment and shame at the mention of her brief tryst with Klaus, but anger quickly replaced it, inciting her to quickly defend herself. "So does Elena. Have you forgotten who you are? Look in the mirror jerk. I don't need to remind you about our brief, screwed up, abusive relationship do I? What you did to me?"

Damon winced at the memory of how he took advantage of Caroline when he first arrived back in town. "I thought I apologized for that," he added quietly with a guilt stricken expression.

Caroline's anger subsided when she noticed his obvious remorse. "You did. But that doesn't excuse the fact that it happened. You conveniently choose to forget about things you have done even when you judge everyone else around you. You are being hypocritical."

Bonnie's own words— '_you always do this—act as if there aren't serious repercussions to your actions'—_raced through his mind, leaving him feel completely crestfallen. Bonnie has been calling him out on his selfishness and hypocrisy for a long time, but he never chose to really listen to her. He knew he screwed up with her, but he couldn't accept Kai as being her new buddy.

"What's going on?" Elena strode through the room, exhibiting pure worry for Damon. "What happened?" She wrapped her arms around him, clutching onto his head as he buried his face in her neck. She felt tears.

Grimly, Caroline answered her. "He had a fight with Bonnie." Tears filled her own eyes as she thought about her best friend. She knew Bonnie was a wreck right now, but who would comfort her? Once again, Bonnie was alone, since Caroline didn't know if she could trust Kai. The thought sparked more tears to fall, and the blonde simply turned around to leave the room without another word to anyone. Stefan followed her, sensing her sadness, and he pulled her against him once they were outside of Damon's room.

Caroline cried against his chest, struggling to form words through her heaving sobs. "He is always driving her away. Making it seem like he could care less about her. How is she supposed to keep taking that without going crazy? She only wants to help all of us, and she just hears criticism, especially from that fool." She sniffed, looking into Stefan's eyes. "I'm sorry. I know he's your brother."

Stefan shook his head, already silencing her apologies. "He may be my brother, but Bonnie is my friend too. I'm not happy about this at all." He wiped some tears from Caroline's face, "But Care, you have to try and understand Damon. He never goes this ballistic over anything or anyone. He cares. In his own twisted, unhealthy way he really does."

Caroline tried to laugh, but it sounded strained and forced. "Who knows about those two? Bonnie and Damon have the weirdest relationship I have ever seen. Not even my TV shows portray that much drama."

Stefan couldn't stop a small smile from gracing his face in response to Caroline. She always knew what to say to make him laugh even in difficult situations. "We just need to put on a united front for both of them or else we witness them destroy each other. When Bonnie comes back, we'll try to talk to her about giving him another chance. I don't know." Both he and Caroline walked through the mansion, carrying a heavy burden of concern for both Damon and Bonnie.

As they tried to sort it out, Elena still attempted to comfort Damon. "It's okay. She'll come around."

Her words instilled a brief sensation of hope, which gave him the strength to pull away from her and search her eyes. "Think so?" He asked vulnerably.

Smiling at him, Elena patted his cheek and kissed him soundly. "Yes. We won't lose her."

Damon's jaw ticked, "And Kai?" He watched her closely, waiting for her answer.

"We'll proceed with the plan," she reassured him. "We can definitely convince Liv and Jo to get rid of him. We'll find a way. Bonnie needs us to knock some sense into her. She'll be grateful to us one day."

Damon grudgingly nodded along to Elena's words of encouragement even though he sensed that going behind Bonnie's back to kill Kai would probably strain their relationship even further, yet the idea of Bonnie caring for Kai filled him with so much rage that he couldn't choose now to be sensible and sensitive like Stefan. He would do whatever it takes to protect her.

**A/N: Where did all of that sappy, fluffy angst come from? Lol Of course, I made Elena have the worst idea ever, because she generally does on the show. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. The preview for next week's episode of VD looks very interesting, but I'm not going to get my hopes up too much. I'll definitely be checking Tumblr first thing in the morning to find out what went down lol I don't even watch the show anymore, honestly. Anyway, thank you all to those who reviewed and added this story to their favorites/subscription list. It's really awesome, and I appreciate it! **


	12. If I Could Change Your Mind

**Disclaimer: **_**TVD**_** doesn't belong to me. **

**Chapter musical inspiration: "If I Could Change Your Mind" by Haim.**

By the time the sun had set on the city, creating an amazing visual of colors like pink, blue, and yellow blended together, Bonnie and Kai returned from their tour of the bayou and aquarium and now entered the heart of the city where musicians created a vivacious scene on almost every street. Bonnie enjoyed experiencing the city in this mode, strolling through the streets while clutching one side of her floral maxi dress and allowing herself to quietly observe. Similarly, Kai walked silently next to her with his hands buried in his pockets as his eyes roamed around eagerly. For him, being able to explore the new place excited him to the point of completely forgetting about his bitterness towards his family and his previous plans for revenge. Beyond all their personal problems, the two had forged an even closer sense of trust, and Bonnie herself even started to lose her original wariness and suspicion of him.

The peaceful walk ended abruptly once Bonnie noticed a familiar figure standing by the edge of the Mississippi River. The view was extremely beautiful with the sunset reflecting upon the water while an old fashioned steamboat played a whimsical tune in the background. If it weren't for the smirking Klaus in front of her, Bonnie might have enjoyed it.

"Great," she grumbled while turning to look at Kai, "Let me handle this and do most of the talking."

Kai feigned surprise, "Are you saying you don't trust me?" He pouted dramatically, adding a hand over his heart to complete the artificial display of disappointment.

Bonnie flashed him a bright smile and patted his shoulder. "Yes exactly!" Her face transitioned into a serious expression as she tried to emphasize her point. "I know Klaus seems like some awesome mythical figure that models the kind of psycho you aspire to be, but he is dangerous, complicated, and unpredictable. I have dealt with him before, so it's best if I do it alone." Bonnie frowned when she noticed the almost hurt expression that appeared on his face briefly, but once she blinked, the expression was gone and replaced with one of indifference.

"Whatever, I'm going to head over to those shops that we passed by and browse. I'll find you afterwards," he turned his back without even a hand wave or head nod, which left Bonnie worried. Regret at her previous words, particularly psycho, took over. Not having the time to mull over it, she turned around and moved forward until she stood at a comfortable distance.

Klaus flashed her his signature smirk, "Good evening, witch. Interesting that I find you here in New Orleans."

Bonnie crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Yeah. I forgot you moved here."

"Yes, I returned to my home," his eyes lost focus, gazing in the distance. "What's left of it any way." He blinked, returning his attention to Bonnie. "You've met Marcel."

Klaus' tense demeanor puzzled her. She assumed Marcel and he were close friends, since both liked to threaten people.

"Yeah. Can't say I enjoyed it. So you aren't on board with his witch hunt?"

Klaus chuckled at her choice of words, shaking his head to answer her question. "I returned to New Orleans to discover that Marcel had established his power and claimed New Orleans as his new domain when I left. He's even convinced that he has surpassed me by taking over himself despite the fact I made him who he is." By now, Klaus gritted his teeth and tightened his fists, clearly growing angrier with each word he uttered.

Bonnie stood completely shocked by the whole story. Never in a million years would Klaus become second in command to anyone, at least not willingly and for long. She tightened the grip on her interlocked arms as a troubling thought popped into her head. "Don't tell me you need a witch to help you reclaim your territory."

His face practically lit up at her words, which confirmed Bonnie's suspicions. Before he could say another word, she shook her head vigorously and vehemently denied the offer. "No way. I'm not getting involved."

"C'mon love, where is your sense of adventure?"

Bonnie grimaced, "My sense of adventure left the building when I was trapped on the Other Side alone after dying for the third time. I am officially retired from getting involved in any supernatural craziness."

"Are we having fun yet?" The words, spoken in a dry tone, made both Bonnie and Klaus look up. Kai approached looking tiredly at Bonnie, but once he turned to Klaus, he offered a smile and reached out to shake hands with Klaus.

"I was just telling Bonnie here about an offer I have for her and you if you're interested," informed Klaus as his smile widened, showing his dimples. Bonnie recognized Klaus' charm card that he often uses when trying to convince someone to do his bidding, other than just straightforward threatening, of course.

Before Kai could even express interest in the idea, Bonnie spoke up, "We're not interested Klaus. I'm sure there are a plethora of witches you could call to help out."

Kai's eyes moved back and forth between them, not liking being out of the loop. "What's the offer?" He asked this question directly to Klaus, avoiding Bonnie's steely gaze.

Klaus' already blue eyes seemed to brighten in that moment as he became gleeful at the prospect of possibly having Kai on board. "I need a witch to support me as I take down Marcel. I would be forever in your debt," he bowed his head in reverence.

Bonnie could gag at the sight, but she remained focused on ridding Klaus of any hope that either she or Kai would help. "You never offer something without an ulterior motive and getting involved in your fight with Marcel, who has an intense hatred for witches, has disaster written all over it. Kai and I don't want to be at the mercy of a vampire's control."

Klaus could only stare at the young witch in astonishment. While he was away from Mystic Falls, she appeared to develop a backbone. He couldn't' help but smile at the thought as he always thought she wasted her potential helping out the Salavatores and the doppelganger.

"I understand Bonnie. Truly, I do. As it turns out, I do know a few witches right here in this city who wouldn't mind aiding me in my efforts, but I thought I'd ask the best first." He motioned towards Bonnie and Kai, "And you two are just that."

Kai's pride swelled at the compliment. All he wanted all along was to regain his powers and accumulate respect and helping Klaus most definitely would put him in the right direction. However, a small feeling of resistance kept him from ditching Bonnie and agreeing to help Klaus, and Kai knew the feeling derived from his own attachment to her, which had significantly grown over the past few days. The realization implanted a tiny sense of resentment towards her, but it wasn't strong enough to convince him to abandon her now. "Bonnie's right. We have to get back to Mystic Falls, anyway."

Wide eyed, Bonnie twisted her head to the side in order to glimpse at Kai, and she remained in that position for a long time as disbelief started to settle in. If there was a sliver of chance that Kai had been artificial this entire time in order to manipulate her, then he must deserve an Oscar for the performance, because he was incredibly believable. Bonnie's frantic thoughts raced through her mind—Kai just chose her over an opportunity to separate from the group at Mystic Falls, help an incredibly powerful Original, and subsequently strengthen his powers. In fact, Kai's chance to pursue his vendetta with his siblings could only be helped by his association with Klaus, since it would give him time to plan and attack Mystic Falls at any time. Nonetheless, he didn't, and the implications of his decision spurred fondness for the warlock within her.

"Whenever you two decide to return or change your minds," Klaus finally filled the silence, directing his gaze at Bonnie, "You are always welcome. Marcel knows you two are my guests, and he isn't stupid enough to try anything."

His words startled Bonnie, and despite her best efforts she felt inclined to believe him. "Thanks Klaus," she expressed the gratitude a bit wearily but also sincerely. Klaus nodded in her direction and waved at Kai. "Until next time," he exclaimed before turning around and gliding down the street into the crowds of tourists and residents who filled the streets.

After he left, Bonnie spun around, making sure to look Kai directly in the eye. "You denied his offer," she declared.

He tilted his head so that he could look into her eyes, "Yeah. Surprised?" He questions her, noticeably agitated, and once again, Bonnie feels bad.

"A little," she admitted. His bitter smirk prompted her to continue and explain herself, "But can you blame me? I'm trying Kai. I really am trying to trust you, but you can't be mad at me for still being hesitant."

Kai bit the side of his cheek, his foot tapping against the road. He didn't want to admit out loud how hurt he felt over her doubting him again, but he understood her point. He sighed, looking more worn out than she had ever seen him. "I get it."

They didn't break the steady gaze between them until the soft notes of a slow song, being played by a small group of musicians, began to waft through the air. One by one, couples who had been walking by or lingering by the water, started to dance along to the music. Bonnie twiddled her thumbs together and stole a glance at Kai who stood watching the scene before him with a blank expression. His behavior towards her could only be described as bizarre given how he usually teases her enthusiastically or pesters her obnoxiously. But, Bonnie had never witnessed him behave like this before—tense, distant, and somber—which only increased her concern. _Why do I care?_ Echoed the persistent voice of reason in her head. _Because you just do,_ it scolded right back. Bonnie exhaled deeply, her shoulder sagging slightly, before resting her hand on his arm, which signaled him to meet her eyes.

"Dance with me?" She made the request so warmly that Kai needed to blink a few times to reassure himself this was happening. Not really trusting his own voice due to his surprise, he only nodded while grabbing her hand and leading them a few steps forward. The two fell into the classic partner dance position—Bonnie resting one hand on his shoulder, Kai holding her waist, and both hands laced together—creating a convincing picture to any outsider that they were together. As they began to sway to the music, Bonnie worked up the nerve to address the root of the tension between them. "I'm sorry," she expressed. She made sure to maintain eye contact as she spoke, "I shouldn't have called you a psycho—not that you can't be classified as one based on your past behavior…" She squeezed the hand that held hers when she noticed him tensing again, "But because you have helped me a lot and give me no reason to doubt you. I appreciate you being there for me and just talking to me, Kai. All of it. I really like hanging out with you even though you are a huge pain in the ass." She finished her statement with a glowing smile and even released a giggle when Kai's own face broke out into a real smile. "So, I'll try to make an effort to not call you too many names anymore." She released her hand from his hold, reaching up to pat his face jokingly, and resumed holding hands with him.

He spun her around, making Bonnie laugh before bringing her close to him. Kai gazed at Bonnie, feeling an overwhelming sensation of happiness, and he persisted in looking at her with affection. "No one has ever apologized for hurting my feelings before." The confession showcased his vulnerability, something that he never exposes to anyone, but Bonnie was different. "Thanks."

Bonnie nodded as she positioned her head against his chest, not even realizing that she chose where his heart lay until the steady beating reverberated through her ears.

"Mystic Falls has nothing on this place," he whispered. "Do we really have to leave?"

Bonnie pulled away, looking into his eyes. "Do you want to hang around while Klaus and Marcel battle against each other for the bigger ego?" Smiling gently, she prodded him with her nose, barely nuzzling it against his chin before Kai could process it. "No drama is a good thing."

Regaining the breath he lost when Bonnie initiated the surprisingly tender sign on affection, he tried to reclaim his usual sarcastic demeanor, "But I live for drama." The sound of her laughter comforted him and encouraged him to share more, "I'm kind of suspicious of everyone there, I mean they hate me. It'd be pretty awkward if we returned and were ambushed. Or I would get ambushed."

"That's not going to happen. I wouldn't let them." She spoke the words so confidently as if she had already decided to protect him against anyone who tried something. She really meant it, too.

Without any warning, Kai grabbed her face, pulling her so close that their noses touched. Paralyzed with confusion and pure shock, Bonnie remained silent as Kai began to ramble.

"See when you say things like that…I can't help but wonder if 'friends' is really the right term for us."

"Malachai," she warned, instantly starting to panic. Her attempt to sound threatening was feeble, because Kai just laughed heartily at the use of his full name. "So you use the full name card when you are trying to make me think you are really pissed at me. I like it," he spoke softly as he pressed his forehead against hers. "Am I crazy?"

In an effort to calm herself down, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "No." She really surprised herself with that answer. "But, we need to focus on dealing with everyone in Mystic Falls first—I don't think coming back from New Orleans dating would be the best idea—" Bonnie froze, completely horrified that she brought up "dating." She desperately tried to backtrack, "Not that I was thinking of dating you or anything." Smiling nervously, Bonnie began to scope out their surroundings, "Let's get some ice cream or something. I am suddenly starving." Before Kai could answer, he was being pulled by the petite witch through the crowds until they found an ice cream shop. Willing to let go the discussion for now, Kai happily allowed Bonnie to lead him through the city, enjoying the sound of her nervous chatter along the way.

**A/N: A gift in honor of Valentine's Day! I am so nervous for the upcoming episode of TVD—I just don't want to be disappointed again, but I have no faith in the writers of that show. I mean what kind of friends throw a birthday party for a friend whom they know is stuck in some alternate universe and just decide to go forward with an occasion as cheery as a party? I would be moping around and complaining about how there needs to be a way to get my friend back—not eating cake and decorating lol Doesn't Bonnie get treated badly enough? Meh. Anyway, I just wanted to give a quick shout out to a very observant reviewer who asked why Marcel hadn't busted Bonnie and Kai for doing magic, since they did it twice within the borders of the city. Well, the answer to that question is that Marcel just happened to be super distracted those two moments lol Honestly, I never thought about it while I was writing, so try to pretend that Kai and Bonnie found a subtle way to use magic that didn't alert Marcel :) I have to admit that I only watched the premier episode of **_**The Originals**_**, so I forget exactly how Marcel kept tabs on witches in the city…oh well! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and once again, a huge thank you to all who are reading and leaving awesome reviews as well as those who placed the story on your favorite/alert lists! It's much appreciated!**


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